■""^g^r 


* 


A   JACOBITE   EXILE 


YOU   WON'T    TKLL   YOUR    FATHER?"  CICELY    ASKED   EAGLRLY. 


A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

BEING 

THE  ADVENTURES   OF  A  YOUNG    ENGLISHMAN 

IN  THE  SERVICE  OF  CHARLES   XII. 

OF   SWEDEN 


BY 


G.   A.    HENTY 

Author  of  "  Beric  the  Briton,"  "  The  Dash  for  Khartoum,"  "  The  Lion  of 
St.  Mark,"  "  With  Clive  in  India,"  &c. 


WITH  EIGHT  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  PAUL  HARDY 
AND  MAP  OF  CENTRAL  EUROPE 


NEW   YORK 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

1899 


Eo^B  of  iiiduGo  Llbo 


COPYRIGHT,   1893,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS. 


GIFT 


145-5.7 


PREFACE 


My  dear  Lads, 

Had  I  attempted  to  write  you  an  account  of  the 
whole  of  the  adventurous  career  of  Charles  XII.  of  Sweden, 
it  would,  in  itself,  have  filled  a  bulky  volume  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  all  other  matter,  and  a  youth  who  fought  at  Narva 
would  have  been  a  middle-aged  man  at  the  death  of  that 
warlike   monarch  before  the  walls  of   Frederickshall.     I 
have  therefore  been  obliged  to  confine  myself  to  the  first 
three  years  of  his  reign,  in  which  he  crushed  the  army  of 
Russia  at  Narva,  and  laid  the  then  powerful  republic  of 
Poland  prostrate  at  his  feet.     In  this  way  only  could  I 
obtain  space    for   the   private   adventures  and  doings  of 
Charlie  Carstairs,  the  hero  of  the  story.     The  details  of 
the  wars  of  Charles  XII.  were  taken  from  the   military 
history  written  at  his  command  by  his  chamberlain,  Adler- 
feld,  from  a  similar  narrative  by  a  Scotch  gentleman  in 
his   service,  and   from  Voltaire's  history.     The  latter  is 
responsible  for  the  statement  that  the  trade  of  Poland  was 
almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Scotch,  French,  and  Jewish 
merchants,  the  Poles  themselves  being  sharply  divided  into 
the  two  categories  of  nobles  and  peasants. 

Yours  sincerely, 

G.  A.  HENTY. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

PAGE 

I. 

A  Spy  in  the  Household  . 

II 

11. 

Denounced  

.          30 

III. 

A  Rescue 

49 

IV. 

In  Sweden 

.      68 

V. 

Narva  

.      86 

VI. 

A  Prisoner 

.     103 

VII. 

Exchanged  .... 

.     122 

VIII. 

The  Passage  of  the  Dwina 

•     140 

IX. 

In  Warsaw  .... 

.     160 

X. 

In  Evil  Plight    . 

.     180 

XL 

With  Brigands  . 

.     199 

XII. 

Treed  by  Wolves 

.    218 

XIII. 

A  Rescued  Party 

.    237 

XIV. 

The  Battle  at  Clissow     . 

•    255 

XV. 

An  Old  Acquaintance 

.     273 

XVI. 

In  England  Again 

.     291 

XVII. 

The  North  Coach 

.    309 

XVIII. 

A  Confession 

.    325 

ILLUSTRATIONS 


62 
94 


"You  won't  tell  your  Father?"  Cicely  asked  k^gerly 

Frontispiece       23 

Charlie  and  his  Friends  rescue  Sir  Marmaduke 

Storming  the  Intrenchments  at  Xarva 

"It  is  as  much  as  I  can  do  to  keep  my  saddle" 

Charlie  encounters  Ben  Soloman  in  the  Wood 

Charlie  and  the  Travellers  are  surrounded  by  Wolves     239 

"The  King  of  Sweden  speaks  very  highly  of  you  both"     319 


T  "^  ' 


195 


Charlie  comes  Home  again 


347 


Map  of  Central  Europe .to  face  p.  10 


I    / 

V 


60,« 


/ 


k 


I 


o 


T^    ^     /JV"   O     i?      T    M 


10 


A   JACOBITE   EXILE 


CHAPTER   I 


A   SPY   IN   THE   HOUSEHOLD 

?N  the  borders  of  Lancashire  and  Westmoreland, 
two  centuries  since,  stood  Lynnwood,  a  pictu- 
resque mansion  still  retaining  something  of  the 

character  of  a  fortified  house.     It  was  ever  a 

matter  of  regret  to  its  owner,  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs,  that 
his  grandfather  had  so  modified  its  construction  by  levelling 
one  side  of  the  quadrangle,  and  inserting  large  mullion  win- 
dows in  that  portion  inhabited  by  the  family,  that  it  was  in 
no  condition  to  stand  a  siege  in  the  time  of  the  Civil  War. 
Sir  Marmaduke  was  at  that  time  only  a  child,  but  he  still 
remembered  how  the  Roundhead  soldiers  had  lorded  it 
there- when  his  father  was  away  fighting  with  the  army  of 
the  king;  how  they  had  seated  themselves  at  the  board,  and 
had  ordered  his  mother  about  as  if  she  had  been  a  scullion, 
jeering  her  with  cruel  words  as  to  what  would  have  been  the 
fate  of  her  husband  if  they  had  caught  him  there,  until, 
though  but  eight  years  old,  he  had  smitten  one  of  the 
troopers  as  he  sat,  with  all  his  force.  What  had  happened 
after  that  he  did  not  recollect,  for  it  was  not  until  a  week 
after  the  Roundheads  had  ridden  away  that  he  found  him- 

11 


12  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

self  in  his  bed,  with  his  mother  sitting  beside  him  and  his 
head  bandaged  with  cloths  dipped  in  water.  He  always 
maintained  that  had  the  house  been  fortified  it  could  have 
held  out  until  help  arrived,  although  in  later  years  his  father 
assured  him  that  it  was  well  it  was  not  in  a  position  to  offer 
a  defence. 

"  We  were  away  down  south,  Marmaduke,  and  the  Round- 
heads were  masters  of  this  district  at  the  time;  they  would 
have  battered  the  place  around  your  mother's  ears,  and, 
likely  as  not,  have  burnt  it  to  the  ground.  As  it  was,  I 
came  back  here  to  find  it  whole  and  safe,  except  that  the 
crop-eared  scoundrels  had,  from  pure  wantonness,  destroyed 
the  pictures  and  hacked  most  of  the  furniture  to  pieces. 
I  took  no  part  in  the  later  risings,  seeing  that  they  were 
hopeless,  and  therefore  preserved  my  property  when  many 
others  were  ruined.  No,  Marmaduke,  it  is  just  as  well  that 
the  house  was  not  fortified.  I  believe  in  fighting  when  there 
is  some  chance,  even  a  slight  one,  of  success,  but  I  regard 
it  as  an  act  of  folly  to  throw  away  a  life  when  no  good  can 
come  of  it." 

Still,  Sir  Marmaduke  never  ceased  to  regret  that  Lynn- 
wood  was  not  one  of  the  houses  that  had  been  defended  to 
the  last  against  the  enemies  of  the  king.  At  the  Restora- 
tion he  went  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  to  London  to  pay 
his  respects  to  Charles  IL  He  was  well  received,  and 
although  he  tired  in  a  very  short  time  of  the  gaieties  of  the 
court,  he  returned  to  Lynnwood  with  his  feelings  of  loyalty 
to  the  Stuarts  as  strong  as  ever.  He  rejoiced  heartily  when 
the  news  came  of  the  defeat  of  Monmouth  at  Sedgemoor, 
and  was  filled  with  rage  and  indignation  when  James  weakly 
fled  and  left  his  throne  to  be  occupied  by  Dutch  William. 

From  that  time  he  became  a  strong  Jacobite,  and  emptied 
his  glass  nightly  "to  the  king  over  the  water."  In  the 
north  the  Jacobites  were  numerous,  and  at  their  gatherings 
treason  was  freely  talked,  while  arms  were  prepared  and 


A   SPY    IN   THE    HOUSEHOLD  13 

hidden  away  for  the  time  when  the  lawful  king  should  return 
to  claim  his  own.  Sir  Marmaduke  was  deeply  concerned 
in  the  plot  of  1696,  when  preparations  had  been  made  for  a 
great  Jacobite  rising  throughout  the  country.  Nothing  came 
of  it,  for  the  Duke  of  Berwick,  who  was  to  have  led  it,  failed 
in  getting  the  two  parties  who  were  concerned  to  come  to 
an  agreement.  The  Jacobites  were  ready  to  rise  directly  a 
French  army  landed.  The  French  king,  on  the  other  hand, 
would  not  send  an  army  until  the  Jacobites  had  risen,  and 
the  matter  therefore  fell  through,  to  Sir  Marmaduke 's  indig- 
nation and  grief.  But  he  had  no  words  strong  enough  to 
express  his  anger  and  disgust  when  he  found,  that  side  by 
side  with  the  general  scheme  for  a  rising,  a  plot  had  been 
formed  by  Sir  George  Barclay,  a  Scottish  refugee,  to  assas- 
sinate the  king  on  his  return  from  hunting  in  Richmond 
Forest. 

"It  is  enough  to  drive  one  to  become  a  Whig,"  he  ex- 
claimed. "I  am  ready  to  fight  Dutch  William,  for  he 
occupies  the  place  of  my  rightful  sovereign,  but  I  have  no 
private  feud  with  him,  and  if  I  had  I  would  run  any  man 
through  who  ventured  to  propose  to  me  a  plot  to  assassinate 
him.  Such  scoundrels  as  Barclay  would  bring  disgrace  on 
the  best  cause  in  the  world.  Had  I  heard  as  much  as  a 
whisper  of  it  I  would  have  buckled  on  my  sword  and  rid- 
den to  London  to  warn  the  Dutchman  of  his  danger.  How- 
ever, as  it  seems  that  Barclay  had  but  some  forty  men  with 
him,  most  of  them  foreign  desperadoes,  the  Dutchman 
must  see  that  English  gentlemen,  however  ready  to  fight 
against  him  fairly,  would  have  no  hand  in  so  dastardly  a 
plot  as  this. 

"  Look  you,  Charlie,  keep  always  in  mind  that  you  bear 
the  name  of  our  martyred  king,  and  be  ready  ever  to  draw 
your  sword  in  the  cause  of  the  Stuarts,  whether  it  be  ten 
years  hence  or  forty  that  their  banner  is  hoisted  again;  but 
keep  yourself  free  from  all  plots  except  those  that  deal  with 


14  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

fair  and  open  warfare.  Have  no  faith  whatever  in  politi- 
cians, who  are  ever  ready  to  use  the  country  gentry  as  an 
instrument  for  gaining  their  own  ends.  Deal  with  your 
neighbours,  but  mistrust  strangers  from  whomsoever  they 
may  say  they  come." 

Which  advice  Charlie,  at  that  time  thirteen  years  old, 
gravely  promised  to  follow.  He  had  naturally  inherited 
his  father's  sentiments,  and  believed  the  Jacobite  cause 
to  be  a  sacred  one.  He  had  fought  and  vanquished  Alured 
Dormay,  his  second  cousin,  and  two  ye;ars  his  senior,  for 
speaking  of  King  James'  son  as  the  Pretender,  and  was 
ready  at  any  time  to  do  battle  with  any  boy  of  his  own 
age  in  the  same  cause.  Alured 's  father,  John  Dormay,  had 
ridden  over  to  Lynnwood  to  complain  of  the  violence  of 
which  his  son  had  been  the  victim,  but  he  obtained  no 
redress  from  Sir  Marmaduke. 

"The  boy  is  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  cousin,  and  he  did 
right.  I  myself  struck  a  blow  at  the  king's  enemies  when 
I  was  but  eight  years  old,  and  got  my  skull  well-nigh 
cracked  for  my  pains.  It  is  well  that  the  lads  were  not 
four  years  older,  for  then  instead  of  taking  to  fisticuffs 
their  swords  would  have  been  out,  and,  as  my  boy  has  for 
the  last  four  years  been  exercised  daily  in  the  use  of  his 
weapon,  it  might  happen  that  instead  of  Alured  coming 
home  with  a  black  eye,  and,  as  you  say,  a  missing  tooth,  he 
might  have  been  carried  home  with  a  sword-thrust  through 
his  body.  It  was,  to  my  mind,  entirely  the  fault  of  your 
son.  I  should  have  blamed  Charlie  had  he  called  the  king 
at  Westminster  Dutch  \V  illiam,  for  although  each  man  has 
a  right  to  his  own  opinions,  he  has  no  right  to  offend  those 
of  others — besides,  at  present  it  is  as  well  to  keep  a  quiet 
tongue  as  to  a  matter  that  words  cannot  set  right.  In  the 
same  way  your  son  had  no  right  to  offend  others  by  calling 
James  Stuart  the  Pretender. 

"Certainly,  of  the  twelve  boys  who  go  over  to  learn  what 


A  SPY   EN  THE   HOUSEHOLD  16 

the  Rector  of  Apsley  can  teach  them,  more  than  half  are 
sons  of  gentlemen  whose  opinions  are  similar  to  my  own. 
It  would  be  much  better,  John  Dormay,  if,  instead  of  com- 
plaining of  my  boy,  you  were  to  look  somewhat  to  your 
own.  I  marked,  the  last  time  he  came  over  here,  that  he 
was  growing  loutish  in  his  manners,  and  that  he  bore  him- 
•self  with  less  respect  to  his  elders  than  is  seemly  in  a  lad 
of  that  age.  He  needs  curbing,  and  would  carry  himself 
all  the  better  if,  like  Charlie,  he  had  an  hour  a  day  at 
sword  exercise.  I  speak  for  the  boy's  good.  It  is  true 
that  you  yourself,  being  a  bitter  Whig,  mix  but  little  with 
your  neighbours,  who  are  for  the  most  part  the  other  way 
of  thinking;  but  this  may  not  go  on  for  ever,  and  you 
would,  I  suppose,  like  Alured  when  he  grows  up  to  mix 
with  others  of  his  rank  in  the  county,  and  it  would  be  well, 
therefore,  that  he  should  have  the  accomplishments  and 
manners  of  young  men  of  his  own  age." 

John  Dormay  did  not  reply  hastily — it  was  his  policy  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with  his  wife's  cousin,  for  the  knight 
was  a  man  of  far  higher  consideration  in  the  county  than 
himself.  His  smile,  however,  was  not  a  pleasant  one  as  he 
rose  and  said,  "My  mission  has  hardly  terminated  as  I 
expected.  Sir  Marmaduke.  I  came  to  complain,  and  I  go 
away  advised  somewhat  sharply." 

"Tut,  tut,  man  !"  the  knight  said.  "I  speak  only  for 
the  lad's  good,  and  I  am  sure  that  you  cannot  but  feel  the 
truth  of  what  I  have  said.  What  does  Alured  want  to 
make  enemies  for?  It  may  be  that  it  was  only  my  son  who 
openly  resented  his  ill-timed  remarks,  but  you  may  be  sure 
that  others  were  equally  displeased,  and  maybe  their  resent- 
ment will  last  much  longer  than  that  which  was  quenched 
in  a  fair  stand-up  fight.  Certainly,  there  need  be  no  mal- 
ice between  the  boys.  Alured 's  defeat  may  even  do  him 
good,  for  he  cannot  but  feel  that  it  is  somewhat  disgraceful 
to  be  beaten  by  one  nearly  a  head  shorter  than  he." 


16  A   JACOBITE  EXILE 

"  There  is  no  doubt  something  in  what  you  say,  Sir  Mar- 
maduke,"  John  Dormay  said  blandly,  "and  I  will  make  it 
my  business  that,  should  the  boys  meet  again  as  antago- 
nists, Alured  shall  be  able  to  give  a  better  account  of  him- 
self." 

"He  is  a  disagreeable  fellow,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said  to 
himself,  as  he  watched  John  Dormay  ride  slowly  away 
through  the  park,  "  and  if  it  were  not  that  he  is  husband  to 
my  cousin  Celia,  I  would  have  nought  to  do  with  him. 
She  is  my  only  kinswoman,  and  were  aught  to  happen  to 
Charlie,  that  lout,  her  son,  would  be  the  heir  of  Lynnwood. 
I  should  never  rest  quiet  in  my  grave  were  a  Whig  master 
here.  I  would  much  rather  that  he  had  spoken  wrathfully 
when  I  straightly  gave  him  my  opinion  of  the  boy,  who  is 
growing  up  an  ill-conditioned  cub;  it  would  have  been 
more  honest.  I  hate  to  see  a  man  smile  when  I  know  that 
he  would  fain  swear.  I  like  my  cousin  Celia,  and  I  like 
her  little  daughter  Ciceley,  who  takes  after  her,  and  not 
after  John  Dormay;  but  I  would  that  the  fellow  lived  on 
the  other  side  of  England.  He  is  out  of  his  place  here, 
and  though  men  do  not  speak  against  him  in  my  presence, 
knowing  that  he  is  a  sort  of  kinsman,  I  have  never  heard 
one  say  a  good  word  for  him. 

"It  is  not  only  because  he  is  a  Whig;  there  are  other 
Whig  gentry  in  the  neighbourhood  against  whom  I  bear  no 
ill-will,  and  can  meet  at  a  social  board  in  friendship.  It 
would  be  hard  if  politics  were  to  stand  between  neighbours. 
It  is  Dormay' s  manner  that  is  against  him.  If  he  were  any 
one  but  Celia' s  husband,  I  would  say  that  he  is  a  smooth- 
faced knave,  though  I  altogether  lack  proof  of  my  words, 
beyond  that  he  has  added  half  a  dozen  farms  to  his  estate, 
and  in  each  case  there  were  complaints  that,  although  there 
was  nothing  contrary  to  the  law,  it  was  by  sharp  practice 
that  he  obtained  possession,  lending  money  freely  in  order 
to  build  houses  and  fences  and  drains,  and  then  directly  a 
pinch  came  demanding  the  return  of  his  advance. 


A   SPY 'IN   THE    HOUSEHOLD  17 

"Such  ways  may  pass  in  a  London  usurer,  but  they  don't 
do  for  us  country-folk;  and  each  farm  that  he  has  taken 
has  closed  the  doors  of  a  dozen  good  houses  to  John  Dor- 
may.  I  fear  that  Celia  has  a  bad  time  with  him,  though 
she  is  not  one  to  complain.  I  let  Charlie  go  over  to  Rock- 
ley  much  oftener  than  I  otherwise  should  do  for  her  sake 
and  Ciceley's,  though  I  would  rather  a  hundred  times  that 
they  should  come  here.  Not  that  the  visits  are  pleasant 
when  they  do  come,  for  I  can  see  that  Celia  is  always  in  fear 
lest  I  should  ask  her  questions  about  her  life  at  home; 
which  is  the  last  thing  that  I  should  think  of  doing,  for  no 
good  ever  comes  of  interference  between  man  and  wife, 
and  whatever  I  learned  I  could  not  quarrel  with  John  Dor- 
may  without  being  altogether  separated  from  Celia  and  the 
girl. 

"  I  am  heartily  glad  that  Charlie  has  given  Alured  a  sound 
thrashing.  The  boy  is  too  modest;  he  only  said  a  few 
words  last  evening  about  the  affair,  and  I  thought  that  only 
a  blow  or  two  had  been  exchanged.  It  was  as  much  as  I 
could  do  not  to  rub  my  hands  and  chuckle  when  his  father 
told  me  all  about  it.  However,  I  must  speak  gravely  to 
Charlie.  If  he  takes  it  up  every  time  a  Whig  speaks  scorn- 
fully of  the  king  he  will  be  always  in  hot  water,  and  were 
he  a  few  years  older  would  become  a  marked  man.  We 
have  got  to  bide  our  time,  and  except  among  friends  it  is 
best  to  keep  a  quiet  tongue  until  that  time  comes." 

To  Sir  Marmaduke's  disappointment  three  more  years 
went  on  without  the  position  changing  in  any  way.  Mes- 
sengers went  and  came  between  France  and  the  English 
Jacobites,  but  no  movement  was  made.  The  failure  of  the 
assassination  plot  had  strengthened  William's  hold  on  the 
country,  for  Englishmen  love  fair  play  and  hate  assassina- 
tion, so  that  many  who  had  hitherto  been  opponents  of 
William  of  Orange  now  ranged  themselves  on  his  side, 
declaring  they  could  no  longer  support  a  cause  that  used 


18  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

assassination  as  one  of  its  weapons.  More  zealous  Jaco- 
bites, although  they  regretted  the  assassination  plot,  and 
were  as  vehement  of  their  denunciations  of  its  authors  as 
were  the  Whigs,  remained  staunch  in  their  fidelity  to  "  the 
king  over  the  water,"  maintaining  stoutly  that  his  majesty 
knew  nothing  whatever  of  this  foul  plot,  and  that  his  cause 
was  in  no  way  affected  by  the  misconduct  of  a  few  men  who 
happened  to  be  among  its  adherents. 

At  Lynnwood  things  went  on  as  usual.  Charlie  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  a  somewhat  desultory  way,  having  but 
small  affection  for  books,  kept  up  his  fencing  lesson  dili- 
gently and  learned  to  dance,  quarrelled  occasionally  with 
his  cousin  Alured,  spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  on  horse- 
back, and  rode  over  not  unfrequently  to  Rockley,  choosing, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  days  and  hours  when  he  knew  that 
Alured  and  his  father  were  likely  to  be  away.  He  went 
over  partly  for  his  own  pleasure,  but  more  in  compliance 
with  his  father's  wishes. 

"My  cousin  seldom  comes  over  herself,"  the  latter  said. 
"I  know  right  well  that  it  is  from  no  slackness  of  her  own, 
but  that  her  husband  likes  not  her  intimacy  here;  it  is  well 
then  that  you  should  go  over  and  see  them,  for  it  is  only 
when  you  bring  her  that  I  see  Ciceley.  I  would  she  were 
your  sister,  lad,  for  she  is  a  bright  little  maid,  and  would 
make  the  old  house  lively." 

Therefore,  once  a  week  or  so,  Charlie  rode  over  early 
too  Rockley,  which  was  some  five  miles  distant,  and  brought 
back  Ciceley,  cantering  on  her  pony  by  his  side,  escorting 
her  home  again  before  nightfall.  Ciceley' s  mother  won- 
dered sometimes  that  her  husband,  who  in  most  matters 
set  his  will  in  opposition  to  hers,  never  offered  any  objec- 
tion to  the  girl's  visits  to  Lynnwood.  She  thought  that 
perhaps  he  was  pleased  that  there  should  be  an  intimacy 
between  some  member  at  least  of  his  family  and  Sir  Marma- 
duke's.     There  were  so  few  houses  at  which  he  or  his 


A  SPY   IN  THE   HOUSEHOLD  19 

were  welcome,  it  was  pleasant  to  him  to  be  able  to  refer 
to  the  close  friendship  of  his  daughter  with  their  cousins 
at  Lynnwood.  Beyond  this,  Celia,  who,  often  as  she  sat 
alone,  turned  the  matter  over  in  her  mind,  could  see  no 
reason  he  could  have  for  permitting  the  intimacy.  That 
he  would  permit  it  without  some  reason  was,  as  her  experi- 
ence had  taught  her,  out  of  the  question. 

Ciceley  never  troubled  her  head  about  the  matter;  her 
visits  to  Lynnwood  were  very  pleasant  to  her.  She  was  two 
years  younger  than  Charlie  Carstairs;  and  although  when 
he  had  once  brought  her  to  the  house  he  considered  that 
his  duties  were  over  until  the  hour  arrived  for  her  return, 
he  was  sometimes  ready  to  play  with  her,  escort  her  round 
the  garden,  or  climb  the  trees  for  fruit  or  birds'  eggs  for 
her.  Such  little  courtesies  she  never  received  from  Alured, 
who  was  four  years  her  senior,  and  who  never  interested 
himself  in  the  slightest  degree  in  her.  He  was  now  past 
eighteen,  and  was  beginning  to  regard  himself  as  a  man, 
and  had,  to  Ciceley' s  satisfaction,  gone  a  few  weeks  before 
to  London  to  stay  with  an  uncle  who  had  a  place  at  court, 
and  was  said  to  be  much  in  the  confidence  of  some  of  the 
Whig  lords. 

Sir  Marmaduke  was  about  this  time  more  convinced  than 
ever  that  ere  long  the  heir  of  the  Stuarts  would  come  over 
from  France  with  men,  arms,  and  money,  and  would  rally 
round  him  the  Jacobites  of  England  and  Scotland.  Charlie 
saw  but  little  of  him,  for  he  was  frequently  absent  from 
early  morning  until  late  at  night,  riding  to  visit  friends  in 
Westmoreland  and  Yorkshire,  sometimes  being  away  two  or 
three  days  at  a  time.  Of  an  evening  there  were  meetings 
at  Lynnwood,  and  at  these  strangers  who  arrived  after  night- 
fall were  often  present.  Charlie  was  not  admitted  to  any 
of  these  gatherings. 

"You  will  know  all  about  it  in  time,  lad,"  his  father 
said.     "  You  are  too  young  to  bother  your  head  with  poll- 


20  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

tics,  and  you  would  lose  patience  in  a  very  short  time.  I 
do  myself  occasionally.  Many  who  are  the  foremost  in 
talk  when  there  is  no  prospect  of  doing  anything,  draw  back 
when  the  time  approaches  for  action,  and  it  is  sickening  to 
listen  to  the  timorous  objections  and  paltry  arguments  that 
are  brought  forward.  Here  am  I,  a  man  of  sixty,  ready  to 
risk  life  and  fortune  in  the  good  cause,  and  there  are  many 
not  half  my  age,  who  speak  with  as  much  caution  as  if  they 
were  gray-beards.  Still,  lad,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  mat- 
ter will  straighten  itself  out  and  come  right  in  the  end.  It 
is  always  the  most  trying  time  for  timorous  hearts  before 
the  first  shot  of  a  battle  is  fired.  Once  the  engagement 
commences,  there  is  no  time  for  fear;  the  battle  has  to  be 
fought  out,  and  the  best  way  to  safety  is  to  win  a  victory. 
I  have  not  the  least  doubt,that  as  soon  as  it  is  known  that 
the  king  has  landed,  there  will  be  no  more  shilly-shallying 
or  hesitation.  Every  loyal  man  will  mount  his  horse  and 
call  out  his  tenants,  and  in  a  few  days  England  will  be  in  a 
blaze  from  end  to  end." 

Charlie  troubled  himself  but  little  with  what  was  going 
on.  His  father  had  promised  him  that  when  the  time  did 
come  he  should  ride  by  his  side,  and  with  that  promise  he 
was  content  to  wait,  knowing  that  at  present  his  strength 
would  be  of  but  little  avail,  and  that  every  week  added 
somewhat  to  his  weight  and  sinew. 

One  day  he  was  in  the  garden  with  Ciceley;  the  weather 
was  hot,  and  the  girl  was  sitting  in  a  swing  under  a  shady 
tree,  occasionally  starting  herself  by  a  push  with  her  foot 
on  the  ground,  and  then  swaying  gently  backward  and  for- 
ward, until  the  swing  was  again  at  rest.  Charlie  was  seated 
on  the  ground  near  her,  pulling  the  ears  of  his  favourite 
dog,  and  occasionally  talking  to  her,  when  a  servant  came 
out  with  a  message  that  his  father  wanted  to  speak  to  him. 

"  I  expect  I  shall  be  back  in  a  few  minutes,  Ciceley,  so 
don't  you  wander  away  till  I  come.     It  is  too  hot  to-day 


A  Spy  IN  THE   HOUSEHOLD  21 

to  be  hunting  for  you  all  over  the  garden,  as  I  did  when 
you  hid  yourself  last  week." 

It  was  indeed  but  a  short  time  until  he  returned. 

"My  father  only  wanted  to  tell  me  that  he  is  just  starting 
for  Bristowe's,  and  as  it  is  over  tw^enty  miles  away  he  may 
not  return  until  to-morrow." 

"I  don't  like  that  man's  face  who  brought  the  message 
to  you,  Charlie." 

"Don't  you?"  the  boy  said  carelessly.  "I  have  not 
noticed  him  much;  he  has  not  been  many  months  with  us. 
What  are  you  thinking  of?  "  he  asked  a  minute  later,  see- 
ing that  his  cousin  looked  troubled. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  ought  to  tell  you,  Charlie.  You 
know  my  father  does  not  think  the  same  way  as  yours  about 
things." 

"I  should  rather  think  he  doesn't,"  Charlie  laughed. 
"There  is  no  secret  about  that,  Ciceley;  but  the)  don't 
quarrel  over  it.  Last  time  your  father  and  mother  came 
over  here  I  dined  with  them  for  the  first  time,  and  I  noticed 
there  was  not  a  single  word  said  about  politics.  They 
chatted  over  the  crops,  and  the  chances  of  a  war  in  Europe, 
and  of  the  quarrel  between  Holstein  and  Denmark,  and 
whether  the  young  king  of  Sweden  would  aid  the  duke,  who 
seems  to  be  threatened  by  Saxony  as  w^U  as  by  Denmark. 
I  did  not  know  anything  about  it,  and  thought  it  was  rather 
stupid;  but  my  father  and  yours  both  seemed  of  one  mind, 
and  were  as  good  friends  as  if  they  were  in  equal  agree- 
ment on  all  other  points.  But  what  has  that  to  do  with 
Nicholson,  for  that  is  the  man's  name  who  came  out  just 
now?" 

"It  does  not  seem  to  have  much  to  do  with  it,"  she  said 
doubtfully,  "  and  yet  perhaps  it  does.  You  know  my  mother 
is  not  quite  of  the  same  opinion  as  my  father,  although  she 
never  says  so  to  him;  but  when  we  are  alone  together  some- 
times she  shakes  her  head  and  says  she  fears  that  trouble 


22  A  JACOBITE   EXiLt 

is  coming,  and  it  makes  her  very  unhappy.  One  day  I  was 
in  the  garden,  and  they  were  talking  loudly  in  the  dining- 
room — at  least  he  was  talking  loudly.  Well,  he  said — But 
I  don't  know  whether  I  ought  to  tell  you,  Charlie." 

"  Certainly  you  ought  not,  Ciceley.  If  you  heard  what 
you  were  not  meant  to  hear  you  ought  never  to  say  a  word 
about  it  to  anyone." 

"But  it  concerns  you  and  Sir  Marmaduke." 

"I  cannot  help  that,"  he  said  stoutly.  "People  often 
say  things  of  each  other  in  private,  especially  if  they  are 
out  of  temper,  that  they  don't  quite  mean,  and  it  would 
make  terrible  mischief  if  such  things  were  repeated.  What- 
ever your  father  said  I  do  not  want  to  hear  it,  and  it  would 
be  very  wrong  of  you  to  repeat  it." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  repeat  it,  Charlie.  I  only  want  to 
say  that  I  do  not  think  my  father  and  yours  are  very 
friendly  together,  which  is  natural,  when  my  father  is  all 
for  King  William  and  your  father  for  King  James.  He 
makes  no  secret  of  that,  you  know." 

Charlie  nodded.  "That  is  right  enough,  Ciceley,  but 
still  I  don't  understand  in  the  least  what  it  has  to  do  with 
the  servant." 

"It  has  to  do  with  it,"  she  said  pettishly,  starting  the 
swing  afresh,  and  then  relapsing  into  silence  until  it  again 
came  to  a  stand-still.  "I  think  you  ought  to  know,"  she 
said  suddenly.  "You  see,  Charlie,  Sir  Marmaduke  is  very 
kind  to  me,  and  I  love  him  dearly,  and  so  I  do  you,  and  I 
think  you  ought  to  know,  although  it  may  be  nothing  at 
all." 

"Well,  fire  away  then,  Ciceley.  There  is  one  thing  you 
may  be  quite  sure  of,  whatever  you  tell  me  it  is  like  telling 
a  brother,  and  I  shall  never  repeat  it  to  anyone." 

"  Well,  it  is  this.  That  man  comes  over  sometimes  to  see 
my  father.  I  have  seen  him  pass  my  window  three  or  four 
times  and  go  in  by  the  garden  door  into  father's  study.     I 


A  SPY   IN   THE   HOUSEHOLD  23 

did  not  know  who  he  was,  but  it  did  seem  funny  his  entering 
by  that  door,  as  if  he  did  not  want  to  be  seen  by  anyone  in 
the  house.  I  did  not  think  anything  more  about  it  till  I 
saw  him  just  now,  then  I  knew  him  directly.  If  I  had  seen 
him  before  I  should  have  told  you  at  once,  but  I  don't  think 
I  have." 

"  I  daresay  not,  Ciceley.  He  does  not  wait  at  table,  but 
is  under  the  steward,  and  helps  clean  the  silver.  He  waits 
when  we  have  several  friends  to  dinner.  At  other  times  he 
does  not  often  come  into  the  room.  What  you  tell  me  is 
certainly  curious.     What  can  he  have  to  say  to  your  father  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,  Charlie.  I  don't  know  anything  about 
it.     I  do  think  you  ought  to  know." 

"Yes,  I  think  it  is  a  good  thing  that  I  should  know,"' 
Charlie  agreed  thoughtfully.  "  I  daresay  it  is  all  right,  but 
at  any  rate  I  am  glad  you  told  me." 

"You  won't  tell  your  father?  "  she  asked  eagerly.  "Be- 
cause if  you  were  to  speak  of  it — " 

"  I  shall  not  tell  him.  You  need  not  be  afraid  that  what 
you  have  told  me  will  come  out.  It  is  curious,  and  that  is 
all,  and  I  will  look  after  the  fellow  a  bit.  Don't  think 
anything  more  about  it.  It  is  just  the  sort  of  thing  it  is 
well  to  know,  but  I  expect  there  is  no  harm  in  it  one  way 
or  the  other.  Of  course  he  must  have  known  your  father 
before  he  came  to  us,  and  may  have  business  of  some  sort 
with  him.  He  may  have  a  brother  or  some  other  relation 
who  wants  to  take  one  of  your  father's  farms.  Indeed,  there 
are  a  hundred  things  he  might  want  to  see  him  about.  But 
still,  I  am  glad  you  have  told  me." 

In  his  own  mind  Charlie  thought  much  more  seriously  of 
it  than  he  pretended.  He  knew  that  at  present  his  father 
was  engaged  heart  and  soul  in  a  projected  Jacobite  rising. 
He  knew  that  John  Dormay  was  a  bitter  Whig.  He 
believed  that  he  had  a  grudge  against  his  father,  and  the 
general  opinion  of  him  was  that  he  was  wholly  unscrupulous. 


24  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

That  he  should,  then,  be  in  secret  communication  with  a 
servant  at  Lynnwood,  struck  him  as  a  very  serious  matter 
indeed.  Charlie  was  not  yet  sixteen,  but  his  close  com- 
panionship with  his  father  had  rendered  him  older  than 
most  lads  of  his  age.  He  was  as  warm  a  Jacobite  as  his 
father,  but  the  manner  in  which  William  with  his  Dutch 
troops  had  crushed  the  great  Jacobite  rebellion  in  Ireland, 
seemed  to  him  a  lesson  that  the  prospects  of  success  in 
England  were  much  less  certain  than  his  father  believed 
them  to  be.  John  Dormay,  as  an  adherent  of  William, 
would  be  interested  in  thwarting  the  proposed  movement, 
with  the  satisfaction  of,  at  the  same  time,  bringing  Sir 
Marmaduke  into  disgrace.  Charlie  could  hardly  believe 
that  his  cousin  would  be  guilty  of  setting  a  spy  to  watch  his 
father,  but  it  was  certainly  possible,  and  as  he  thought  the 
matter  over  as  he  rode  back  after  escorting  Ciceley  to  her 
home,  he  resolved  to  keep  a  sharp  watch  over  the  doings  of 
this  man  Nicholson. 

"  It  would  never  do  to  tell  my  father  what  Ciceley  said. 
He  would  bundle  the  fellow  out  neck  and  crop,  and  perhaps 
break  some  of  his  bones,  and  then  it  would  be  traced  to 
her.  She  has  not  a  happy  home  as  it  is,  and  it  would  be 
far  worse  if  her  father  knew  that  it  was  she  who  had  put  us 
on  our  guard.  I  must  find  out  something  myself,  and  then 
we  can  turn  him  out  without  there  being  the  least  suspicion 
that  Ciceley  is  mixed  up  in  it." 

The  next  evening  several  Jacobite  gentlemen  rode  in, 
and,  as  usual,  had  a  long  talk  with  Sir  Marmaduke  after 
supper. 

"If  this  fellow  is  a  spy,"  Charlie  said  to  himself,  "he 
will  be  wanting  to  hear  what  is  said,  and  to  do  so  he  must 
either  hide  himself  in  the  room  or  listen  at  the  door  or  at 
one  of  the  windows.  It  is  not  likely  that  he  will  get  into 
the  room,  for  to  do  that  he  must  have  hidden  himself  before 
supper  began.     I  don't  think  he  would  dare  to  listen  at  the 


A   SPY   IN  THE   HOUSEHOLD  25 

door,  for  anyone  passing  through  the  hall  would  catch  him 
at  it.     It  must  be  at  one  of  the  windows." 

The  room  was  at  an  angle  of  the  house.  Three  win- 
dows looked  out  on  to  the  lawn  in  front,  that  at  the  side 
into  a  large  shrubbery,  where  the  bushes  grew  up  close  to 
it;  and  Charlie  decided  that  here,  if  anywhere,  the  man 
would  take  up  his  post.  As  soon,  then,  as  he  knew  that  the 
servants  were  clearing  away  the  supper  he  took  a  heavy 
cudgel  and  went  out.  He  walked  straight  away  from  the 
house,  and  then,  when  he  knew  that  his  figure  could  no 
longer  be  seen  in  the  twilight,  he  made  a  circuit,  and  enter- 
ing the  shrubbery  crept  along  close  to  the  wall  of  the  house 
until  within  two  or  three  yards  of  the  window.  Having 
made  sure  that  at  present,  at  any  rate,  no  one  was  near,  he 
moved  out  a  step  or  two  to  look  at  the  window.  His 
suspicions  were  at  once  confirmed.  The  inside  curtains 
were  drawn,  but  the  casement  was  open  two  or  three  inches. 
Charlie  again  took  up  his  post  behind  a  bush  and  waited. 

In  five  minutes  he  heard  a  twig  snap,  and  then  a  figure 
came  along  noiselessly  and  placed  itself  at  the  window. 
Charlie  gave  him  but  a  moment  to  listen,  then  he  sprang 
forward,  and  with  his  whole  strength  brought  his  cudgel 
down  upon  the  man's  head.  He  fell  like  a  stone.  Charlie 
threw  open  the  window,  and  as  he  did  so  the  curtain  was 
torn  back  by  his  father,  the  sound  of  the  blow  and  the  fall 
having  reached  the  ears  of  those  within.  Sir  Marmaduke 
had  drawn  his  sword,  and  was  about  to  leap  through  the 
window  when  Charlie  exclaimed : 

"  It  is  I,  father.  I  have  caught  a  fellow  listening  at  the 
window,  and  have  just  knocked  him  down." 

"Well  done,  my  boy!  Bring  lights,  please,  gentlemen; 
let  us  see  what  villain  we  have  got  here."  But  as  he  spoke 
Charlie's  head  suddenly  disappeared,  and  a  sharp  exclama- 
tion broke  from  him  as  he  felt  his  ankles  grasped  and  his 
feet  pulled  from  under  him.     He  came  down  with  such  a 


26  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

crash  that  for  a  moment  he  was  unable  to  rise.  He  heard 
a  rustling  in  the  bushes,  and  then  his  father  leapt  down  be- 
side him. 

"  Where  are  you,  my  boy  ?    Has  the  scoundrel  hurt  you  ?  " 

"He  has  given  me  a  shake,"  Charlie  said  as  he  sat  up; 
"and  what  is  worse,  I  am  afraid  he  has  got  away." 

"Follow  me,  gentlemen,  and  scatter  through  the  gar- 
dens," Sir  Marmaduke  roared;  "the  villain  has  escaped!" 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  hot  pursuit  through  the 
shrubbery  and  gardens,  but  nothing  was  discovered. 
Charlie  had  been  so  shaken  that  he  was  unable  to  join  the 
pursuit,  but  having  got  on  to  his  feet  remained  leaning 
against  the  wall  until  his  father  came  back. 

"  He  has  got  away,  Charlie.  Have  you  any  idea  who  he 
was?" 

"It  was  Nicholson,  father;  at  least  I  am  almost  certain 
that  it  was  him.  It  was  too  dark  to  see  his  face.  I  could 
see  the  outline  of  his  head  against  the  window,  and  he  had 
on  a  cap  with  a  cock's  feather  which  I  had  noticed  the  man 
wore." 

"But  how  came  you  here,  Charlie?  " 

"I  will  tell  you  that  afterwards, 'father, — don't  ask  me 
now;  "  for  at  this  moment  some  of  the  others  were  coming 
up.  Several  of  them  had  torches,  and  as  they  approached 
Sir  Marmaduke  saw  something  lying  on  the  ground  under 
the  window.     He  picked  it  up. 

"Here  is  the  fellow's  cap,"  he  said.  "You  must  have 
hit  him  a  shrewd  blow,  Charlie,  for  here  is  a  clean  cut 
through  the  cloth  and  a  patch  of  fresh  blood  on  the  white 
lining.     How  did  he  get  you  down,  lad?  " 

"  He  fell  so  suddenly  when  I  hit  him  that  I  thought  I  had 
either  killed  or  stunned  him;  but  of  course  I  had  not,  for 
it  was  but  a  moment  after,  when  I  was  speaking  to  you, 
that  I  felt  my  ankles  seized  and  I  went  down  with  a  crash. 
I  heard  him  make  off  through  the  bushes;  but  I  was  for 


A  SPY  IN  THE  HOUSEHOLD  27 

the  moment  almost  dazed,  and  could  do  nothing  to  stop 
him." 

"Was  the  window  open  when  he  came?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  two  or  three  inches." 

"Then  it  was  evidently  a  planned  thing.  Well,  gentle- 
men, we  may  as  well  go  indoors.  The  fellow  is  well  out  of 
our  reach  now,  and  we  may  be  pretty  sure  he  will  never 
again  show  his  face  here.  Fortunately  he  heard  nothing, 
for  the  serving-men  had  but  just  left  the  room,  and  we  had 
not  yet  begun  to  talk." 

"That  is  true  enough,  Sir  Marmaduke,"  one  of  the  others 
said.  "The  question  is, — How  long  has  this  been  going 
on?" 

Sir  Marmaduke  looked  at  Charlie. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  it,  sir.  Till  now  I  have  not  had 
the  slightest  suspicion  of  this  man.  It  occurred  to  me 
this  afternoon  that  it  might  be  possible  for  anyone  to  hear 
what  was  said  inside  the  room  by  listening  at  the  windows, 
and  that  this  shrubbery  would  form  a  very  good  shelter  for 
an  eaves-dropper.  So  I  thought  this  evening  I  would  take 
up  my  place  here  to  assure  myself  that  there  was  no  traitor 
in  the  household.  I  had  been  here  but  five  minutes  when 
the  fellow  stole  quietly  up  and  placed  his  ear  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  casement,  and  you  may  be  sure  that  I  gave  him 
no  time  to  listen  to  what  was  being  said." 

"Well,  we  had  better  go  in,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said. 
"There  is  no  fear  of  our  being  overheard  this  evening. 
Charlie,  do  you  take  old  Banks  aside  and  tell  him  what  has 
happened,  and  then  go  with  him  to  the  room  where  that 
fellow  slept,  and  make  a  thorough  search  of  any  clothes  he 
may  have  left  behind,  and  of  the  room  itself.  Should  you 
find  any  papers  or  documents,  you  will,  of  course,  bring 
them  down  to  me." 

But  the  closest  search  by  Charlie  and  the  old  butler  pro- 
duced no  results.     Not  a  scrap  of  paper  of  any  kind  was 


28  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

found,  and  Banks  said  that  he  knew  the  man  could  neither 
read  nor  write.  The  party  below  soon  broke  up,  considera- 
ble uneasiness  being  felt  by  all  at  the  incident  of  the  even- 
ing.    When  the  last  of  them  had  left  Charlie  was  sent  for. 

"Now,  then,  Charlie,  let  me  hear  how  all  this  came 
about.  I  know  that  all  you  said  about  what  took  place  at 
the  window  is  perfectly  true;  but  even  had  you  not  said 
so,  I  should  have  felt  there  was  something  else.  What  was 
it  brought  you  to  that  window?  Your  story  was  straight- 
forward enough,  but  it  was  certainly  singular  your  happen- 
ing to  be  there,  and  I  fancy  some  of  our  friends  thought 
that  you  had  gone  round  to  listen  yourself.  One  hinted  as 
much;  but  I  said  that  was  absurd,  for  you  were  completely 
in  my  confidence,  and  that  whatever  peril  and  danger  there 
might  be  in  the  enterprise,  you  would  share  them  with 
me." 

"It  is  not  pleasant  that  they  should  have  thought  so, 
father,  but  that  is  better  than  that  the  truth  should  be 
known.  This  is  how  it  happened;  "  and  he  repeated  what 
Ciceley  had  told  him  in  the  garden. 

"  So  the  worthy  Master  John  Dormay  has  set  a  spy  upon 
me,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said  bitterly.  "I  knew  the  man  was 
a  knave — that  is  public  property — but  I  did  not  think  that 
he  was  capable  of  this.  Well,  I  am  glad  that  at  any  rate 
no  suspicion  can  fall  upon  Ciceley  in  the  matter;  but  it  is 
serious,  lad,  very  serious.  We  do  not  know  how  long  this 
fellow  has  been  prying  and  listening,  or  how  much  he  may 
have  learnt.  I  don't  think  it  can  be  much.  We  talked  it 
over,  and  my  friends  all  agreed  with  me  that  they  do  not 
remember  those  curtains  having  been  drawn  before.  To 
begin  with,  the  evenings  are  shortening  fast,  and  at  our 
meeting  last  week  we  finished  our  supper  by  daylight; 
and  had  the  curtains  been  drawn  it  would  have  been 
noticed,  for  we  had  need  of  light  before  we  finished. 
Two  of  the  gentlemen  who  were  sitting  facing  the  window 


A    SPY   IN   THE    HOUSEHOLD  29 

declared  that  they  remembered  distinctly  that  it  was  open. 
Mr.  Jervoise  says  that  he  thought  to  himself  that  if  it  was 
his  place  he  would  have  the  trees  cut  away  there,  for  they 
shut  out  the  light.  Therefore,  although  it  is  uncomforta- 
ble to  think  that  there  has  been  a  spy  in  the  house  for 
some  months,  we  have  every  reason  to  hope  that  our  coun- 
cils have  not  been  overheard.  Were  it  other\vise  I  should 
lose  no  time  in  making  for  the  coast  and  taking  ship  to 
France,  to  wait  quietly  there  until  the  king  comes  over." 

"You  have  no  documents,  father,  that  the  man  could 
have  found?  " 

"  None,  Charlie.  We  have  doubtless  made  lists  of  those 
who  could  be  relied  upon  and  of  the  number  of  men  they 
could  bring  with  them,  but  these  have  always  been  burned 
before  w^e  separated.  Such  letters  as  I  have  had  from 
France  I  have  always  destroyed  as  soon  as  I  have  read  them. 
Perilous  stuff  of  that  sort  should  never  be  left  about.  No; 
they  may  ransack  the  place  from  top  to  bottom,  and  noth- 
ing will  be  found  that  could  not  be  read  aloud  without  harm 
in  the  market-place  of  Lancaster.  So  now  to  bed,  Char- 
lie; it  is  long  past  your  usual  hour." 


CHAPTER  II 

DENOUNCED 

CHARLIE,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said  on  the  following  morn- 
ing at  breakfast,  "  it  is  quite  possible  that  that  villain 
who  acted  as  spy,  and  that  other  villain  who  employed 
him — I  need  not  mention  names — may  swear  an  informa- 
tion against  me,  and  I  may  be  arrested  on  the  charge  of 
being  concerned  in  a  plot.  I  am  not  much  afraid  of  it  if 
they  do.  The  most  they  could  say  is  that  I  was  prepared  to 
take  up  arms  if  his  majesty  crossed  from  France;  but  as 
there  are  thousands  and  thousands  of  men  ready  to  do  the 
same,  they  may  fine  me,  perhaps,  but  I  should  say  that  is 
all.  However,  what  I  want  to  say  to  you  is,  keep  out  of 
the  way  if  they  come.  I  shall  make  light  of  the  affair, 
while  you,  being  pretty  hot-tempered,  might  say  things  that 
would  irritate  them,  while  they  could  be  of  no  assistance 
to  me.  Therefore,  I  would  rather  that  you  were  kept  out 
of  it  altogether.  I  shall  want  you  here;  in  my  absence 
there  must  be  somebody  to  look  after  things.  Mind  that 
rascal  John  Dormay  does  not  put  his  foot  inside  the  house 
while  I  am  away.  That  fellow  is  playing  some  deep  game, 
though  I  don't  quite  know  what  it  is.  I  suppose  he  wants 
to  win  the  good-will  of  the  authorities  by  showing  his 
activity  and  zeal;  and  of  course  he  will  imagine  that  no 
one  has  any  idea  that  he  has  been  in  communication  with 
this  spy.     We  have  got  a  hold  over  him,  and  when  I  come 

30 


DENOUNCED  31 

back  I  will  have  it  out  with  him.  He  is  not  popular  now, 
and  if  it  were  known  that  he  had  been  working  against  me, 
his  wife's  kinsman,  behind  my  back,  my  friends  about 
here  would  make  the  country  too  hot  to  hold  him." 

"Yes,  father;  but  please  do  not  let  him  guess  that  we 
have  learnt  it  from  Ciceley.  You  see  that  is  the  only  way 
we  know  about  it." 

"Yes,  you  are  right  there.  I  will  be  careful  that  he 
shall  not  know  the  little  maid  has  anything  to  do  with  it. 
But  we  will  think  of  that  afterwards;  maybe  nothing  will 
come  of  it  after  all.  But  if  anything  does,  mind,  my 
orders  are  that  you  keep  away  from  the  house  while  they 
are  in  it.  When  you  come  back  Banks  will  tell  you  what 
has  happened.  You  had  better  take  your  horse  and  go  for 
a  ride  now.  Not  over  there,  Charlie.  I  know  if  you 
happened  to  meet  that  fellow  he  would  read  in  your  face 
that  you  knew  the  part  he  had  been  playing,  and  should 
nothing  come  of  the  business  I  don't  want  him  to  know 
that  at  present.  The  fellow  can  henceforth  do  us  no 
harm,  for  we  shall  be  on  our  guard  against  eaves-droppers; 
and  for  the  sake  of  cousin  Celia  and  the  child  I  do  not 
want  an  open  breach.  I  do  not  see  the  man  often  myself, 
and  I  will  take  good  care  I  don't  put  myself  in  the  way  of 
meeting  him,  for  the  present  at  any  rate.  Don't  ride  over 
there  to-day." 

"Very  well,  father,  I  will  ride  over  and  see  Harry  Jer- 
voise.  I  promised  him  that  I  would  come  over  one  day 
this  week." 

It  was  a  ten-mile  ride,  and  as  he  entered  the  court-yard 
of  Mr.  Jervoise's  fine  old  mansion  he  leapt  off  his  horse 
and  threw  the  reins  over  a  post.     A  servant  came  out. 

"The  master  wishes  to  speak  to  you.  Master  Carstairs." 

"No  ill  news,  I  hope,  Charlie?"  Mr.  Jer\-oise  asked 
anxiously  as  the  lad  was  shown  into  the  room  where  his 
host  was  standing  beside  the  carved  chimney-piece. 


32  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"  No,  sir,  there  is  nothing  new.  My  father  thought  that 
I  had  better  be  away  to-day  in  case  any  trouble  should 
arise  out  of  what  took  place  yesterday,  so  I  rode  over  to 
see  Harry.     I  promised  to  do  so  one  day  this  week." 

"That  is  right.  Does  Sir  Marmaduke  think  then  that 
he  will  be  arrested?" 

"I  don't  know  that  he  expects  it,  sir,  but  he  says  that  it 
is  possible." 

"  I  do  not  see  that  they  have  anything  to  go  upon,  Char- 
lie. As  we  agreed  last  night,  that  spy  never  had  any 
opportunity  of  overhearing  us  before,  and  certainly  he  can 
have  heard  nothing  yesterday.  The  fellow  can  only  say 
what  many  people  know,  or  could  know  if  they  liked,  that 
half  a  dozen  of  Sir  Marmaduke 's  friends  rode  over  to  take 
supper  with  him.     They  can  make  nothing  out  of  that." 

"No,  sir;  and  my  father  said  that,  at  the  worst,  it  could 
be  but  the  matter  of  a  fine." 

"Quite  so,  lad;  but  I  don't  even  see  how  it  could 
amount  to  that.  You  will  find  Harry  somewhere  about 
the  house;  he  has  said  nothing  to  me  about  going  out." 

Harry  Jervoise  was  just  the  same  age  as  Charlie,  and 
was  his  greatest  friend.  They  were  both  enthusiastic  in 
the  cause  of  the  Stuarts,  equally  vehement  in  their  ex- 
pressions of  contempt  for  the  Dutch  king,  equally  anxious 
for  the  coming  of  him  whom  they  regarded  as  their  lawful 
monarch.  They  spent  the  morning  together  as  usual;  went 
first  to  the  stables  and  patted  and  talked  to  their  horses; 
then  they  played  at  bowls  on  the  lawn;  after  which  they 
had  a  bout  of  sword-play;  and  having  thus  let  off  some  of 
their  animal  spirits,  sat  down  and  talked  of  the  glorious 
times  to  come  when  the  king  was  to  have  his  own  again. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  Charlie  mounted  his  horse  and  rode 
for  home.  When  within  half  a  mile  of  the  house  a  man 
stepped  out  into  the  road  in  front  of  him. 

" Hullo,  Banks,  what  is  it — no  bad  news,  I  hope?  "     And 


DENOUNCED  33 

he  leapt  from  his  horse,  alarmed  at  the  pallor  of  the  old 
butler's  face. 

"Yes,  Master  Charles,  I  have  some  very  bad  news,  and 
have  been  waiting  for  the  last  two  hours  here,  so  as  to  stop 
you  going  to  the  house." 

"Why  shouldn't  I  go  to  the  house?  " 

"Because  there  are  a  dozen  soldiers  and  three  or  four 
constables  there." 

"And  my  father?" 

"They  have  taken  him  away." 

"This  is  bad  news.  Banks;  but  I  know  that  he  thought 
that  it  might  be  so.  But  it  will  not  be  very  serious;  it  is 
only  a  question  of  a  fine,"  he  said. 

The  butler  shook  his  head  sadly.  "  It  is  worse  than  that, 
Master  Charles;  it  is  worse  than  you  think." 

"Well,  tell  me  all  about  it.  Banks,"  Charlie  said,  feeling 
much  alarmed  at  the  old  man's  manner. 

"Well,  sir,  at  three  this  afternoon  two  magistrates,  John 
Cockshaw  and  William  Peters"  ("Both  bitter  Whigs," 
Charlie  put  in)  "  rode  up  to  the  door.  They  had  with  them 
six  constables  and  twenty  troopers." 

"There  were  enough  of  them  then,"  Charlie  said.  "  Did 
they  think  my  father  was  going  to  arm  you  all  and  defend 
the  place?  " 

"I  don't  know,  sir,  but  that  is  the  number  that  came. 
The  magistrates  and  the  constables  and  four  of  the  soldiers 
came  into  the  house.     Sir  Marmaduke  met  them  in  the  hall. 

"'To  what  do  I  owe  the  honour  of  this  visit?  '  he  said, 
quite  cold  and  haughty. 

"'We  have  come.  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs,  to  arrest  you 
on  the  charge  of  being  concerned  in  a  treasonable  plot 
against  the  king's  life.' 

"Sir  Marmaduke  laughed  out  loud.  'I  have  no  design 
on  the  life  of  William  of  Orange  or  of  any  other  man, '  he 
said.     'I  do  not  pretend  to  love  him;  in  that  matter  there 


34  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

are  thousands  in  this  realm  with  me;  but  as  for  a  design 
against  his  life,  I  should  say,  gentlemen,  there  are  few  who 
know  me,  even  among  men  like  yourselves,  whose  politics 
are  opposed  to  mine,  who  would  for  a  moment  credit  such 
a  foul  insinuation.' 

"'We  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  matter,  Sir  Marma- 
duke,'  John  Cockshaw  said;  'we  are  acting  upon  a  sworn 
information  to  that  effect.' 

"Sir  Marmaduke  was  angry  now.  'I  can  guess  the  name 
of  the  dog  who  signed  it,'  he  said,  'and  kinsman  though  he 
is  by  marriage  I  will  force  the  lie  down  his  throat.'  Then 
he  cooled  down  again.  'Well,  gentlemen,  you  have  to  do 
your  duty.     What  do  you  desire  next?  ' 

"'Our  duty  is  next  to  search  the  house  for  any  treason- 
able documents  that  may  be  concealed  here.' 

"'Search  away,  gentlemen,'  Sir  Marmaduke  said,  seating 
himself  in  one  of  the  settles.  'The  house  is  open  to  you. 
My  butler,  James  Banks,  will  go  round  with  you,  and  will 
open  for  you  any  cupboard  or  chest  that  may  be  locked. ' 

"The  magistrates  nodded  to  the  four  soldiers.  Two  of 
them  took  their  post  near  the  chair,  one  at  the  outside  door, 
and  one  at  the  other  end  of  the  room.  Sir  Marmaduke 
said  nothing,  but  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  then  began  to 
play  with  the  ears  of  the  little  spaniel  Fido,  that  had  jumped 
up  on  his  knees. 

"'We  will  first  go  into  the  study,'  John  Cockshaw  said; 
and  I  led  them  there.  They  went  straight  to  the  cabinet 
with  the  pull-down  desk,  where  Sir  Marmaduke  writes  when 
he  does  write,  which  is  not  often.  It  was  locked,  and  I 
went  to  Sir  Marmaduke  for  the  key. 

"'You  will  find  it  in  that  French  vase  on  the  mantel,'  he 
said;  'I  don't  open  the  desk  once  in  three  months,  and 
should  lose  the  key  if  I  carried  it  with  me.' 

"  I  went  to  the  mantel,  turned  the  vase  over,  and  the  key 
dropped  out.     'Sir  Marmaduke  has  nothing  to  hide,  gentle- 


DENOUNCED  35 

men,'  I  said,  'so  you  see  he  keeps  the  key  here.'  I  went 
to  the  cabinet  and  put  the  key  in.  As  I  did  so  I  said, 
'Look,  gentlemen,  someone  has  opened  or  tried  to  open 
this  desk.  Here  is  a  mark  as  if  a  knife  had  been  thrust  in 
to  shoot  the  bolt.'  They  looked  where  I  pointed,  and  Wil- 
liam Peters  said  to  Cockshaw,  'It  is  as  the  man  says. 
Someone  has  been  trying  to  force  the  lock — one  of  the 
varlets  probably  who  thought  the  knight  might  keep  his 
money  here.' 

"'It  can  be  of  no  importance  one  way  or  the  other,' 
Cockshaw  said  roughly. 

"'Probably  not,  Mr.  Cockshaw,  but  at  the  same  time  I 
will  make  a  note  of  it.'  I  turned  the  key  and  pulled  down 
the  door  that  makes  a  desk.  They  seemed  to  know  all 
about  it,  for  without  looking  at  the  papers  in  the  pigeon- 
holes they  pulled  open  the  lower  drawer,  and  took  two 
foreign-looking  letters  out  from  it.  I  will  do  them  the 
justice  to  say  that  they  both  looked  sorry  as  they  opened 
them  and  looked  at  the  writing. 

"'It  is  too  true,'  Peters  said.  'Here  is  enough  to  hang 
a  dozen  men.'  They  tumbled  all  the  other  papers  into  a 
sack  that  one  of  the  constables  had  brought  with  him. 
Then  they  searched  all  the  other  furniture,  but  they  evi- 
dently did  not  expect  to  find  anything.  Then  they  went 
back  into  the  hall.  'Well,  gentlemen,'  Sir  Marmaduke 
said,  'have  you  found  anything  of  a  terrible  kind?  ' 

"'We  have  found,  I  regret  to  say,'  John  Cockshaw  said, 
'the  letters  of  which  we  were  in  search  in  your  private 
cabinet — letters  that  prove  beyond  all  doubt  that  you  are 
concerned  in  a  plot  similar  to  that  discovered  three  years 
ago  to  assassinate  his  majesty  the  king.'  Sir  Marmaduke 
sprang  to  his  feet. 

"'You  have  found  letters  of  that  kind  in  my  cabinet?' 
he  said,  in  a  dazed  sort  of  way.  The  magistrate  bowed  but 
did  not  speak. 


36  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"'Then,  sir,'  Sir  Marmaduke  exclaimed,  'you  have  found 
letters  that  I  have  never  seen.  You  have  found  letters  that 
must  have  been  placed  there  by  some  scoundrel  who  plotted 
my  ruin.  I  assert  to  you,  on  the  honour  of  a  gentleman, 
that  no  such  letters  have  ever  met  my  eye,  and  that  if  such 
a  proposition  had  been  made  to  me,  I  care  not  by  whom, 
I  would  have  struck  to  the  ground  the  man  who  offered  me 
such  an  insult.' 

"'We  are  sorry,  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs,'  Mr.  Peters 
said,  'most  sorry,  both  of  us,  that  it  should  have  fallen  to 
our  duty  to  take  so  painful  a  proceeding  against  a  neigh- 
bour, but  you  see  the  matter  is  beyond  us.  We  have 
received  a  sworn  information  that  you  are  engaged  in  such 
a  plot.  We  are  told  that  you  are  in  the  habit  of  locking  up 
papers  of  importance  in  a  certain  cabinet,  and  there  we 
find  papers  of  a  most  damnatory  kind.  We  most  sincerely 
trust  that  you  may  be  able  to  prove  your  innocence  in  the 
matter,  but  we  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  take  you  with  us 
as  a  prisoner  to  Lancaster. ' 

"Sir  Marmaduke  unbuckled  his  sword  and  laid  it  by. 
He  was  quieter  than  I  thought  he  could  be  in  such  a 
strait,  for  he  has  always  been  by  nature,  as  you  know, 
choleric.  'I  am  ready,  gentlemen,'  he  said.  Peters  whis- 
pered in  Cockshaw's  ear.  'Ah  yes,'  the  other  said,  'I  had 
well-nigh  forgotten,'  and  he  turned  to  me.  'Where  is 
Master  Charles  Carstairs?'  'He  is  not  in  the  house,*  I 
said.  'He  rode  away  this  morning  and  did  not  tell  me 
where  he  was  going.'  'When  do  you  expect  him  back?' 
'  I  do  not  expect  him  at  all,'  I  said.  'When  Master  Charles 
rides  out  to  visit  his  friends  he  sometimes  stays  away  for  a 
day  or  two. ' 

"'Is  it  supposed,'  S^ir  Marmaduke  asked  coldly,  'that  my 
son  is  also  mixed  up  in  this  precious  scheme? ' 

"'It  is  sworn  that  he  was  privy  to  it,'  John  Cockshaw 
said,  'and  is  therefore  included  in  the  orders  for  arrest.' 


DENOUNCED  37 

"Sir  Marmaduke  did  not  speak,  but  he  shut  his  lips  tight, 
and  his  hand  went  to  where  the  hilt  of  his  sword  would 
have  been.  Two  of  the  constables  went  out  and  questioned 
the  grooms,  and  found  that  you  had,  as  I  said,  ridden  off. 
When  they  came  back  there  was  some  talk  between  the 
magistrates,  and  then,  as  I  said,  four  constables  and  some 
soldiers  were  left  in  the  house.  Sir  Marmaduke's  horse 
was  brought  round,  and  he  rode  away  with  the  magistrates 
and  the  other  soldiers." 

"I  am  quite  sure,  Banks,  that  my  father  could  have 
known  nothing  of  those  letters,  or  of  any  plot  against  Wil- 
liam's life.  I  have  heard  him  speak  so  often  of  the 
assassination  plot,  and  how  disgraceful  it  was,  and  how, 
apart  from  its  wickedness,  it  had  damaged  the  cause,  that  I 
am  certain  he  would  not  have  listened  to  a  word  about 
another  such  business." 

"I  am  sure  of  that  too,"  the  old  butler  said;  "but  that  is 
not  the  question,  Master  Charles.  There  are  the  papers. 
We  know  that  Sir  Marmaduke  did  not  put  them  there,  and 
that  he  did  not  know  that  they  were  there.  But  how  is  it 
to  be  proved,  sir?  Everyone  knows  that  Sir  Marmaduke  is 
a  Jacobite,  and  is  regarded  as  the  head  of  the  party  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  He  has  enemies,  and  one  of  them  no 
doubt  has  played  this  evil  trick  upon  him,  and  the  putting 
of  your  name  in  shows  what  the  motive  is." 

"But  it  is  ridiculous.  Banks.  Who  could  believe  that 
such  a  matter  as  this  would  be  confided  to  a  lad  of  mv 
age?"  ^ 

"They  might  not  believe  it  in  their  hearts,  but  people 
often  believe  what  suits  their  interest.  This  accusation 
touches  Sir  Marmaduke's  life,  and  his  estate,  even  if  his 
life  were  spared,  would  be  confiscated.  In  such  a  case  it 
might  be  granted  to  anyone,  and  possibly  even  to  the  son 
of  him  they  would  call  the  traitor.  But  the  accusation  that 
the  son  was  concerned,  or  was  at  any  rate  privy  to  the  crime 


38  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

intended  by  the  father,  would  set  all  against  him,  and  public 
opinion  would  approve  of  the  estates  passing  away  from 
him  altogether.  But  now,  sir,  what  do  you  think  you  had 
best  do?" 

"  Of  course  I  shall  go  on.  Banks,  and  let  them  take  me 
to  join  my  father  in  Lancaster  jail.  Do  you  think  I  would 
run  away?  " 

"No,  sir,  I  don't  think  you  would  run  away.  I  am  sure 
you  would  not  run  away  from  fear,  but  I  would  not  let  them 
lay  hands  on  me  until  I  had  thought  the  matter  well  over. 
You  might  be  able  to  do  more  good  to  Sir  Marmaduke  were 
you  free,  than  you  could  do  if  you  were  caged  up  with  him. 
He  has  enemies,  we  know,  who  are  doing  their  best  to  ruin 
him,  and,  as  you  see,  they  are  anxious  that  you  too  should 
be  shut  up  within  four  walls." 

"You  are  right.  Banks;  at  any  rate  I  will  ride  back  and 
consult  Mr.  Jervoise.  Besides,  he  ought  to  be  warned,  for 
he  too  may  be  arrested  on  the  same  charge.  How  did  you 
get  away  without  being  noticed?  " 

"  I  said  that  I  felt  ill — and  I  was  not  speaking  falsely — 
at  Sir  Marmaduke's  arrest,  and  would  lie  down.  They  are 
keeping  a  sharp  look-out  at  the  stables,  and  have  a  soldier 
at  each  door  to  see  that  no  one  leaves  the  house,  but  I  went 
out  by  that  old  passage  that  comes  out  among  the  ruins  of 
the  monastery." 

"I  know,  Banks;  my  father  showed  it  to  me  three  years 
ago." 

"  I  shall  go  back  that  way  again,  sir,  and  no  one  will 
know  that  I  have  left  the  house.  You  know  the  trick  of 
the  sliding  panel.  Master  Charles?" 

"Yes,  I  know  it,  and  if  I  should  want  to  come  into  the 
house  again  I  will  come  that  way,  Banks." 

"Here  is  a  purse,"  the  butler  said;  "you  may  want 
money,  sir.  Should  you  want  more  there  is  a  store  hidden 
away  in  the  hiding-place  under  the  floor  of  the  Priest's 


DENOUNCED  39 

Chamber  at  the  other  end  of  the  passage.     Do  you  know 
that?" 

"I  know  the  Priest's  Chamber  of  course,  because  you  go 
through  that  to  get  to  the  long  passage,  but  I  don't  know  of 
any  special  hiding-place  there." 

"Doubtless  Sir  Marmaduke  did  not  think  it  necessary 
to  show  it  you  then,  sir,  but  he  would  have  done  it  later  on, 
so  I  do  not  consider  that  I  am  breaking  my  oath  of  secrecy 
in  telling  you.  You  know  the  little  narrow  loophole  in  the 
corner? " 

"Yes,  of  course;  there  is  no  other  that  gives  light  to  the 
room.     It  is  hidden  from  view  outside  by  the  ivy." 

"Well,  sir,  you  count  four  bricks  below  that,  and  you 
press  hard  on  the  next,  that  is  the  fifth,  then  you  will  hear 
a  click,  then  you  press  hard  with  your  heel  at  the  corner, 
in  the  angle,  of  the  flag  below,  and  you  will  find  the  other 
corner  rise.  Then  you  get  hold  of  it  and  lift  it  up,  and 
below  there  is  a  stone  chamber  two  feet  long  and  about  eigh- 
teen inches  wide  and  deep.  It  was  made  to  conceal  papers 
in  the  old  days,  and  I  believe  food  was  always  kept  there  in 
case  the  chamber  had  to  be  used  in  haste.  Sir  Marmaduke 
uses  it  as  a  store-place  for  his  money.  He  has  laid  by  a 
good  deal  every  year,  knowing  that  money  would  be  wanted 
when  troops  had  to  be  raised.  I  was  with  him  about  three 
weeks  ago  when  he  put  in  there  half  the  rents  that  had  been 
paid  in.  So  if  you  want  money  for  any  purpose  you  will 
know  where  to  find  it." 

"  Thank  you.  Banks,  it  may  be  very  useful  to  have  such 
a  store  now." 

"Where  shall  I  send  to  you,  sir,  if  I  have  any  news  that 
it  is  urgent  you  should  know  of?  " 

"  Send  to  Mr.  Jervoise,  Banks.  If  I  am  not  there  he  will 
know  where!  am  to  be  found." 

"I  will  send  Will  Ticehurst,  Master  Charles.  He  is  a 
stout  lad,  and  a  shrewd  one,  and  I  know  there  is  nothing 


40  A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

that  he  would  not  do  for  you.  But  you  had  best  stop  no 
longer.  Should  they  find  out  that  I  am  not  in  the  house 
they  will  guess  that  I  have  come  to  warn  you,  and  may  send 
out  a  party  to  search." 

Charlie  at  once  mounted  and  rode  back  to  Mr.  Jervoise's. 

"I  expected  you  back,"  that  gentleman  said  as  he 
entered.  "Bad  news  travels  apace,  and  an  hour  since  a 
man  brought  in  the  news  that  Sir  Marmaduke  had  been  seen 
riding,  evidently  a  prisoner,  surrounded  by  soldiers,  on  the 
road  towards  Lancaster.  So  that  villain  we  chased  last 
night  must  have  learnt  something.  I  suppose  they  will  be 
here  to-morrow,  but  I  do  not  see  what  serious  charge  they 
can  have  against  us.  We  have  neither  collected  arms  nor 
taken  any  steps  towards  a  rising.  We  have  talked  over 
what  we  might  do  if  there  were  a  landing  made  from  France, 
but  as  there  may  be  no  landing  that  is  a  very  vague  charge." 

"  Unfortunately  that  is  not  the  charge  against  my  father. 
It  is  a  much  more  serious  business."  And  Charlie  repeated 
the  substance  of  what  Banks  had  told  him,  interrupted 
occasionally  by  indignant  ejaculations  from  Mr.  Jer\^oise. 

"It  is  an  infamous  plot,"  he  said,  when  the  lad  had  con- 
cluded his  story.  "Infamous!  There  was  never  a  word 
said  of  such  a  scheme,  and  no  one  who  knows  your  father 
would  believe  it  for  an  instant." 

"Yes,  sir,  but  the  judges  who  do  not  know  him  may 
believe  it.  No  doubt  those  who  put  those  papers  there  will 
bring  forward  evidence  to  back  it  up." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  will  be  the  case.  It  is  serious  for  us 
all,"  Mr.  Jervoise  said  thoughtfully.  "That  man  will  be 
prepared  to  swear  that  he  heard  the  plot  discussed  by  us  all. 
They  seized  your  father  to-day  as  being  the  principal  and 
most  important  of  those  concerned  in  it,  but  we  may  all 
find  ourselves  in  the  same  case  to-morrow.  I  must  think  it 
over.  It  is  well  that  your  man  warned  you.  You  had  best 
not  stay  here  to-night,  for  the  house  may  be  surrounded  at 


DENOUNCED  41 

daybreak.  Harry  shall  go  over  with  you  to  one  of  my 
tenants,  and  you  can  both  sleep  there.  It  will  not  be  nec- 
essary for  you  to  leave  for  another  two  or  three  hours.  You 
had  better  go  to  him  now;  supper  will  be  served  in  half  an 
hour.     I  will  talk  with  you  again  afterwards." 

Harry  was  waiting  outside  the  door,  having  also  heard 
the  news  of  Sir  Marmaduke's  arrest. 

"It  is  villanous!"  he  exclaimed,  when  he  heard  the 
whole  story.  "No  doubt  you  are  right,  and  that  John 
Dormay  is  at  the  bottom  of  it  all.  The  villain  ought  to 
be  slain." 

"He  deserves  it,  Harry;  and  if  I  thought  it  would  do 
good  I  would  gladly  fight  him,  but  I  fear  that  it  would  do 
harm.  Such  a  scoundrel  must  needs  be  a  coward,  and 
he  might  call  for  aid,  and  I  might  be  dragged  off  to 
Lancaster.  Moreover,  he  is  Ciceley's  father,  and  my  cousin 
Celia's  husband,  and  were  I  to  kill  him  it  would  separate 
me  altogether  from  them.  However,  I  shall  in  all  things 
be  guided  by  your  father,  he  will  know  what  best  ought  to 
be  done.  It  is  likely  that  he,  too,  may  be  arrested.  This 
is  evidently  a  deep  plot,  and  your  father  thinks  that, 
although  the  papers  alone  may  not  be  sufficient  to  convict 
my  father,  the  spy  we  had  in  our  house  will  be  ready  to 
swear  that  he  heard  your  father  and  mine  and  the  others 
making  arrangements  for  the  murder  of  William  of  Orange, 
and  their  own  word  to  the  contrary  would  count  but  little 
against  such  evidence  backed  by  those  papers." 

They  talked  together  for  half-an-hour,  and  were  then 
summoned  to  supper.  Nothing  was  said  upon  the  subject 
until  the  servitors  had  retired  and  the  meal  was  cleared 
away.     Mr.  Jervoise  was,  like  Sir  Marmaduke,  a  widower. 

"I  have  been  thinking  it  all  over,"  he  said  when  they 
were  alone.  "  I  have  determined  to  ride  at  once  to  consult 
some  of  my  friends,  and  to  warn  them  of  what  has  taken 
place.     That  is  clearly  my  duty.     I  shall  not  return  until 


42  A  JACOBITE  EXILE 

I  learn  whether  warrants  are  out  for  my  apprehension.  Of 
course,  the  evidence  is  not  so  strong  against  me  as  it  is 
against  Sir  Marmaduke,  still  the  spy's  evidence  would  tell 
as  much  against  me  as  against  him.  You  will  go  up, 
Harry,  with  your  friend  to  Pincot's  farm.  It  lies  so  far  in 
the  hills  that  it  would  probably  be  one  of  the  last  to  be 
searched,  and  if  a  very  sharp  look-out  is  kept  there,  a  body 
of  men  riding  up  the  valley  would  be  seen  over  a  mile 
away,  and  there  would  be  plenty  of  time  to  take  to  the 
hills.  There  Charlie  had  better  remain  until  he  hears 
from  me. 

"  You  can  return  here,  Harry,  in  the  morning,  for  there 
is  no  probability  whatever  of  your  being  included  in  any 
warrant  of  arrest;  it  could  only  relate  to  us  who  were  in 
the  habit  of  meeting  at  Sir  Marmaduke's.  You  will  ride 
over  to  the  farm  each  day,  and  tell  Charlie  any  news  you 
may  have  learnt,  or  take  any  message  I  may  send  you  for 
him.  We  must  do  nothing  hastily.  The  first  thing  to 
learn,  if  possible,  is  whether  any  of  us  are  included  in  the 
charge  of  being  concerned  in  a  plot  against  William's  life. 
In  the  next  place,  who  are  the  witnesses,  and  what  evidence 
they  intend  to  give.  No  doubt  the  most  important  is  the 
man  who  was  placed  as  a  spy  at  Sir  Marmaduke's." 

"As  I  know  his  face,  sir,"  Charlie  said  eagerly,  "could 
I  not  find  him,  and  either  force  him  to  acknowledge  that  it 
is  all  false  or  else  kill  him?  I  should  be  in  my  right  in 
doing  that  surely,  since  he  is  trying  to  swear  away  my 
father's  life  by  false  evidence." 

"  I  should  say  nothing  against  that,  lad.  If  ever  a  fellow 
deserved  killing  he  does;  that  is,  next  to  his  rascally  em- 
ployer. But  his  death  would  harm  rather  than  benefit  us; 
it  would  be  assumed,  of  course,  that  we  had  removed  him 
to  prevent  his  giving  evidence  against  us.  No  doubt  his 
depositions  have  been  taken  down,  and  they  would  then  be 
assumed  to  be  true,  and  we  should  be  worse  off  than  if  he 


DENOUNCED  43 

could  be  confronted  with  us  face  to  face  in  the  court.  We 
must  let  the  matter  rest  at  present." 

"Would  it  be  possible  to  get  my  father  out  of  prison, 
sir?  I  am  sure  I  can  get  a  dozen  men  from  among  the 
tenants  and  grooms  who  would  gladly  risk  their  lives  for 
him." 

"Lancaster  jail  is  a  very  strong  place,"  Mr.  Jervoise 
said,  "and  I  fear  there  is  no  possibility  of  rescuing  him 
from  it.  Of  course,  at  present  we  cannot  say  where  the 
trial  will  take  place.  A  commission  may  be  sent  down  to 
hold  a  special  assizes  at  Lancaster,  or  the  trial  may  take 
place  in  London.  At  any  rate  nothing  whatever  can  be 
done  until  we  know  more.  •  I  have  means  of  learning  what 
takes  place  at  Lancaster,  for  we  have  friends  there  as  well 
as  at  most  other  places.  When  I  hear  from  them  the  exact 
nature  of  the  charge,  the  evidence  that  will  be  given,  and 
the  names  of  those  accused  of  being  mixed  up  in  this  pre- 
tended plot,  I  shall  be  better  able  to  say  what  is  to  be  done. 
Now  I  must  mount  and  ride  without  further  delay.  I  have 
to  visit  all  our  friends  who  met  at  Lynnwood,  and  it  will 
take  me  until  to-morrow  morning  to  see  and  confer  with 
them." 

A  few  minutes  after  Mr.  Jervoise  had  ridden  off,  his  son 
and  Charlie  also  mounted.  A  man  went  with  them  with  a 
supply  of  torches,  for  although  Harry  knew  the  road — 
which  was  little  better  than  a  sheep-track — well  enough 
during  the  day,  his  father  thought  he  might  find  it  difificult 
if  not  impossible  to  follow  it  on  a  dark  night.  They  con- 
gratulated themselves  upon  the  precaution  taken  before 
they  had  gone  very  far,  for  there  was  no  moon,  the  sky  was 
overcast,  and  a  drizzling  rain  had  begun  to  come  down. 
They  could  hardly  see  their  horses'  heads,  and  had  pro- 
ceeded but  a  short  distance  when  it  became  necessary  for 
their  guide  to  light  a  torch.  It  took  them,  therefore,  over 
two  hours  to  reach  the  mountain  farm. 


44  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

They  were  expected,  otherwise  the  household  would  have 
been  asleep.  Mr.  Jervoise  had,  as  soon  as  he  determined 
upon  their  going  there,  sent  off  a  man  on  horseback,  who, 
riding  fast,  had  arrived  before  night  set  in.  There  was, 
therefore,  a  great  turf  fire  glowing  on  the  hearth  when  they 
arrived,  and  a  hearty  welcome  awaiting  them  from  the 
farmer,  his  wife,  and  daughters.  Harry  had,  by  his 
father's  advice,  brought  two  changes  of  clothes  in  a  valise, 
but  they  were  so  completely  soaked  to  the  skin  that  they 
decided  they  would,  after  drinking  a  horn  of  hot-spiced 
ale  that  had  been  prepared  for  them,  go  at  once  to  bed, 
where,  in  spite  of  the  stirring  events  of  the  day,  both  went 
off  to  sleep  as  soon  as  their  heads  touched  the  pillows. 

The  sun  was  shining  brightly  when  they  woke;  the  mists 
had  cleared  off,  although  they  still  hung  round  the  head  of 
Ingleborough,  six  miles  away,  and  on  some  of  the  other 
hill-tops.  The  change  of  weather  had  an  inspiriting  effect, 
and  they  went  down  to  breakfast  in  a  brighter  and  more 
hopeful  frame  of  mind.  As  soon  as  the  meal  was  over 
Harry  started  for  home. 

"I  hope  it  won't  be  long  before  I  can  see  you  again, 
Harry,"  Charlie  said  as  he  stood  by  the  horse. 

"  I  hope  not,  indeed;  but  there  is  no  saying.  My  father's 
orders  are  that  I  am  to  stay  at  home  if  people  come  and 
take  possession,  and  send  a  man  off  to  you  with  the  news 
privately,  but  that  if  no  one  comes  I  may  myself  bring  you 
over  any  news  there  is;  so  I  may  be  back  here  this  after- 
noon." 

"I  shall  be  looking  out  for  you,  Harry.  Remember, 
it  will  be  horribly  dull  for  me  up  here,  wondering  and 
fretting  as  to  what  is  going  on." 

"  I  know,  Charlie;  and  you  shall  hear  as  soon  as  I  get  the 
smallest  scrap  of  news.  If  I  were  you  I  would  go  for  a 
good  walk  among  the  hills,  it  will  be  much  better  for  you 
than  moping  here.  At  any  rate  you  are  not  likely  to  get 
any  news  for  some  hours  to  come." 


DENOUNCED  45 

Charlie  took  the  advice  and  started  among  the  hills,  not 
returning  until  the  mid-day  meal  was  ready.  Before  he  had 
finished  his  dinner  there  was  a  tap  at  the  door,  and  then  a 
young  fellow  whom  he  knew  to  be  employed  in  Mr.  Jer- 
voise's  stables  looked  in. 

Charlie  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"What's  the  news?"  he  asked. 

"  Master  Harry  bade  me  tell  you,  sir,  that  a  magistrate 
and  four  constables  and  ten  soldier  men  came  to-day  at  nine 
o'clock.  He  had  returned  but  a  half-hour  when  they  rode 
up.  They  had  an  order  for  the  arrest  of  Mr.  Jervoise,  and 
have  been  searching  the  house  high  and  low  for  papers. 
No  one  is  allowed  to  leave  the  place,  but  Master  Harry 
came  out  to  the  stables  and  gave  me  his  orders,  and  I  did 
not  find  much  difficulty  in  slipping  out  without  their  notic- 
ing me.  Mr.  Harry  said  that  he  had  no  news  of  Mr. 
Jervoise,  nor  any  other  news  save  what  I  have  told  you. 
He  bade  me  return  at  once,  as  later  on  he  may  want  to  send 
me  again.  I  was  to  be  most  careful  that  no  one  should  see 
me  when  I  got  back,  and  if  I  was  caught  I  was  on  no 
account  to  say  where  I  had  been  to." 

The  farmer  insisted  upon  the  young  fellow  sitting  down 
at  the  table  and  taking  some  food  before  he  started  to 
go  back.  He  required  no  pressing,  but  as  soon  as  his 
hunger  was  satisfied  he  started  again  at  a  brisk  run, 
which  he  kept  up  as  long  as  Charlie's  eye  could  follow  him 
down  the  valley. 

Although  the  boy  by  no  means  wished  Mr.  Jervoise  to  be 
involved  in  his  father's  trouble,  Charlie  could  not  help 
feeling  a  certain  amount  of  pleasure  at  the  news.  He 
thought  it  certain  that  if  his  father  escaped  he  would  have 
to  leave  the  country,  and  that  he  would  in  that  case  take 
him  as  companion  in  his  flight.  If  Mr.  Jervoise  and  Harry 
also  left  the  country,  it  would  be  vastly  more  pleasant  for 
both  his  father  and  himself.     Where  they  would  go  to  or 


46  A   JACOBTTE    EXILE 

what  they  would  do  he  had  no  idea,  but  it  seemed  to  him 
that  exile  among  strangers  would  be  bearable  if  he  had  his 
friend  with  him.  It  would  not  last  many  years,  for  surely 
the  often  talked-of  landing  could  not  be  very  much  longer 
delayed;  then  they  would  return,  share  in  the  triumph  of 
the  Stuart  cause,  and  resume  their  life  at  Lynnwood,  and 
reckon  with  those  who  had  brought  this  foul  charge  against 
them. 

That  the  Jacobite  cause  could  fail  to  triumph  was  a  con- 
tingency to  which  Charlie  did  not  give  even  a  thought.  He 
had  been  taught  that  it  was  a  just  and  holy  cause.  All  his 
school  friends  as  well  as  the  gentlemen  who  visited  his 
father  were  firm  adherents  of  it,  and  he  believed  that  the 
same  sentiments  must  everywhere  prevail.  There  was  then 
nothing  but  the  troops  of  William  to  reckon  with,  and  these 
could  hardly  oppose  a  rising  of  the  English  people  backed 
by  aid  from  France. 

It  was  not  until  after  dark  that  the  messenger  returned. 

"  Master  Harry  bade  me  tell  you,  sir,  that  a  gipsy  boy  he 
had  never  seen  before,  has  brought  him  a  little  note  from 
his  father.  He  will  not  return  at  present,  but  if  Mr.  Harry 
can  manage  to  slip  away  unnoticed  in  the  afternoon  to-mor- 
row he  is  to  come  here.  He  is  not  to  come  direct,  but  to 
make  a  circuit  lest  he  should  be  watched  and  followed,  and 
it  may  be  that  the  master  will  meet  him  here." 

Charlie  was  very  glad  to  hear  this.  Harry  could,  of 
course,  give  him  little  news  of  what  was  going  on  outside 
the  house,  but  Mr.  Jervoise  might  be  able  to  tell  him  some- 
thing about  his  father,  especially  as  he  had  said  he  had 
means  of  learning  what  went  on  in  Lancaster  jail. 

He  was  longing  to  be  doing  something.  It  seemed  intol- 
erable to  him  that  he  should  be  wandering  aimlessly  among 
the  hills,  while  his  father  was  lying  in  Lancaster  with  a 
charge  affecting  his  life  hanging  over  him.  What  he  could 
do  he  knew  not,  but  anything  would  be  better  than  doing 


DENOUNCED  47 

nothing.  Mr.  Jervoise  had  seemed  to  think  that  it  was  out 
of  the  question  to  attempt  a  rescue  from  Lancaster;  but 
surely  if  he  could  get  together  forty  or  fifty  determined  fel- 
lows, a  sudden  assault  upon  the  place  might  be  successful. 
Then  he  set  to  work  reckoning  up  the  grooms,  the  younger 
tenants,  and  the  sons  of  the  older  ones,  and  jotted  down 
the  names  of  twenty-seven  who  he  thought  might  join  in 
the  attempt. 

"  If  Harry  could  get  twenty-three  from  his  people,  that 
would  make  it  up  to  the  number,"  he  said.  "Of  course  I 
don't  know  what  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  may  be. 
I  have  ridden  there  with  my  father,  and  I  know  that  the  cas- 
tle is  a  strong  one,  but  I  did  not  notice  it  very  particularly. 
The  first  thing  to  do  will  be  to  go  and  examine  it  closely. 
No  doubt  ladders  will  be  required,  but  we  could  make  rope- 
ladders  and  take  them  into  the  town  in  a  cart  hidden  under 
faggots,  or  something  of  that  sort.  I  do  hope  Mr.  Jervoise 
will  come  to-morrow.  It  is  horrible  waiting  here  in  sus- 
pense." 

The  next  morning  the  hours  seemed  endless.  Half  a 
dozen  times  he  went  restlessly  in  and  out,  walking  a  little 
distance  up  the  hill  rising  from  the  valley,  and  returning 
again  with  the  vain  idea  that  Mr.  Jervoise  might  have 
arrived.  Still  more  slowly  did  the  time  appear  to  go  after 
dinner.  He  was  getting  into  a  fever  of  impatience  and 
anxiety,  when  about  five  o'clock  he  saw  a  figure  coming 
down  the  hillside  from  the  right.  It  was  too  far  away  to 
recognize  with  certainty,  but  by  the  rapid  pace  at  which 
he  descended  the  hill  he  had  little  doubt  that  it  was  Harry, 
and  he  at  once  started  at  the  top  of  his  speed  to  meet  him. 
The  doubt  was  soon  changed  into  a  certainty.  When,  a 
few  hundred  yards  up  the  hill,  he  met  his  friend  both  were 
almost  breathless.     Harry  was  the  first  to  gasp  out : 

"Has  my  father  arrived?  " 

"Not  yet." 


48  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

Harry  threw  himself  down  on  the  short  grass  with  an 
exclamation  of  thankfulness.  "  I  have  run  nearly  every  foot 
of  the  way,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  he  got  his  breath  a  little. 
"  I  had  awful  difficulty  in  getting  out.  One  of  the  constables 
kept  in  the  same  room  with  me,  and  followed  me  wherever 
I  went.  They  evidently  thought  I  might  hear  from  my 
father  or  try  to  send  him  a  message.  At  last  I  got  desper- 
ate, and  ran  upstairs  to  that  room  next  mine  and  closed  and 
locked  the  door  after  me.  You  know  the  ivy  grows  high  up 
the  wall  there,  and  directly  I  got  in  I  threw  open  the  case- 
ment and  climbed  down  by  it.  It  gave  way  two  or  three 
times  and  I  thought  I  was  gone,  but  I  stuck  to  it  and 
managed  each  time  to  get  a  fresh  hold.  The  moment  I 
was  down  I  ran  along  by  the  foot  of  the  wall  until  I  got 
round  behind,  made  a  dash  into  that  clump  of  fir-trees, 
crawled  along  in  a  ditch  till  I  thought  I  was  safe,  and  then 
made  a  run  for  it.  I  was  so  afraid  of  being  followed  that 
I  have  been  at  least  three  miles  round,  but  I  don't  mind 
now  that  my  father  hasn't  arrived.  I  was  in  such  a  fright 
that  he  might  come  and  go  before  I  got  here." 


CHAPTER   III 


A   RESCUE 


THE  tvvo  lads  walked  slowly  down  the  hill  together. 
Harry  had  heard  no  more  than  Charlie  had  done  of 
what  was  going  on.  The  messenger  from  his  father  was  a 
young  fellow  of  seventeen  or  eighteen,  with  a  gipsy  face 
and  appearance :  how  he  had  managed  to  elude  the  vigi- 
lance of  the  men  on  watch  Harry  did  not  know.  He  him- 
self had  only  learnt  his  presence  when,  as  he  passed  some 
bushes  in  the  garden,  a  sharp  whisper  made  him  stop,  and 
a  moment  later  a  hand  was  thrust  through  the  foliage.  He 
took  the  little  note  held  out,  and  caught  sight  of  the  lad's 
face  through  the  leaves  as  he  leant  forward  and  said — "  Go 
on,  sir,  without  stopping;  they  may  be  watching  you." 

Harry  had  thrust  the  note  into  his  pocket  and  sauntered  on 
for  some  time,  he  then  returned  to  the  house  and  there  read 
the  letter,  with  whose  contents  Charlie  was  already  ac- 
quainted. Eagerly  they  talked  over  what  each  had  been 
thinking  of  since  they  had  parted  early  on  the  previous 
day,  and  discussed  Charlie's  idea  of  an  attack  on  Lancas- 
ter jail. 

"I  don't  know  whether  I  could  get  as  many  men  as  you 
say,  Charlie.  I  don't  think  I  could.  If  my  father  were 
in  prison  as  well  as  yours  I  am  sure  that  most  of  the  young 
fellows  on  the  estate  would  gladly  help  to  rescue  him,  but 

49 


50  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

it  would  be  a  different  thing  when  it  came  to  risking  their 
lives  for  anyone  else.  Of  course  I  don't  know,  but  it  does 
not  seem  to  me  that  fifty  men  would  be  of  any  use  at  all 
towards  taking  Lancaster  Castle.  It  always  seemed  to  me 
a  tremendously  strong  place." 

"Yes,  it  does  look  so,  Harry;  but  perhaps  on  examining 
it  closely,  one  would  find  that  it  is  not  so  strong  as  it  looks 
by  a  long  way.  It  seems  to  me  there  must  be  some  way  or 
other  of  getting  father  out,  and  if  there  seems  even  the 
least  bit  of  a  chance  I  shall  try  it." 

"And  you  may  be  sure  T  will  stand  by  you,  Charlie, 
whatever  it  is,"  Harry  said  heartily.  "We  have  been 
just  like  brothers,  and  of  course  brothers  ought  to  stick  to 
each  other  like  anything;  if  they  don't,  what  is  the  use  of 
being  brothers?  I  daresay  we  shall  know  more  when  we 
hear  what  my  father  has  to  say,  and  then  we  may  see  our 
way  better." 

"  Thank  you,  Harry,  I  knew  you  would  stick  by  me.  Of 
course  I  don't  want  to  do  any  mad  sort  of  thing.  There 
is  no  hurry  anyhow,  and,  as  you  say,  when  we  know  more 
about  it  we  may  be  able  to  hit  upon  some  sort  of  plan." 

It  was  not  until  eight  o'clock  that  Mr.  Jervoise  arrived. 
He  looked  grievously  tired  and  worn  out,  but  he  spoke 
cheerfully  as  he  came  in.  "  I  have  had  a  busy  two  days 
of  it,  boys,  as  you  may  guess.  I  have  no  particularly  good 
news  to  tell  you,  but  on  the  other  hand  I  have  no  bad 
news.  I  was  in  time  to  warn  all  our  friends,  and  when  the 
soldiers  came  for  them  in  the  morning  it  was  only  to  find 
that  their  nests  were  empty.  They  have  been  searching 
the  houses  of  all  Sir  Marmaduke's  tenants,  Charlie,  and 
questioning  man,  woman,  and  child  as  to  whether  they  have 
seen  you.  Ah !  here  is  supper,  and  I  am  nearly  famished. 
However,  I  can  go  on  talking  while  I  eat.  I  should  have 
been  here  sooner,  but  I  have  been  waiting  for  the  return 
of  the  messenger  I  sent  to  Lancaster. 


A   RESCUE  51 

"Yesterday  morning  there  was  an  examination  of  your 
father,  Charlie,  or  rather  an  examination  of  the  testimony 
against  him.  First  the  two  letters  that  were  discovered 
were  put  in.  Without  having  got  them  word  for  word,  my 
informer  was  able  to  give  me  the  substance  of  them.  Both 
were  unsigned,  and  professed  to  have  been  written  in 
France.  The  first  is  dated  three  months  back.  It  alludes 
to  a  conversation  that  somebody  is  supposed  to  have  had 
with  Sir  Marmaduke,  and  states  that  the  agent  who  had 
visited  him,  and  who  is  spoken  of  as  Mr.  H ,  had  as- 
sured them  that  your  father  was  perfectly  ready  to  join  in 
any  well-conceived  design  for  putting  a  stop  to  the  suffer- 
ings that  afflicted  the  country  through  the  wars  into  which 
the  foreign  intruder  had  plunged  it,  even  though  the  plan 
entailed  the  removal  of  the  usurper.  The  writer  assured 
Sir  Marmaduke  of  the  satisfaction  that  such  an  agreement 
on  his  part  had  caused  at  Saint  Germains,  and  had  height- 
ened the  high  esteem  in  which  Sir  Marmaduke  was  held 
for  his  long  fidelity  to  the  cause  of  his  majesty.  It  then 
went  on  to  state  that  a  plan  had  been  already  formed,  and 
that  several  gentlemen  in  the  south  were  deeply  pledged  to 
carry  it  out,  but  that  it  was  thought  specially  advisable  that 
some  from  the  north  should  also  take  part  in  it,  as  from 
their  persons  being  unknown  near  the  court  they  could  act 
with  more  surety  and  safety.  They  would,  therefore,  be 
glad  if  he  would  take  counsel  with  the  friends  he  had  men- 
tioned as  to  what  might  seem  to  them  the  best  course  of 
proceeding.  There  was  no  occasion  for  any  great  haste, 
and  indeed  some  weeks  must  elapse  before  the  blow  was 
struck,  in  order  that  preparations  should  be  made  in 
France  for  taking  instant  advantage  of  it. 

"  The  rest  of  the  letter  was  to  the  same  purpose,  but  was 
really  a  repetition  of  it.  The  second  letter  was  dated 
some  time  later,  and  was  as  before  an  answer  to  one  the 
knight  was  supposed  to  have  written.     It  highly  approved 


52  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

of  the  suggestions  therein  made,  that  Sir  Marmaduke  and 
his  friends  should  travel  separately  and  at  a  few  days' 
interval  to  London,  and  should  take  lodgings  there  in 
different  parts  of  the  town,  and  await  the  signal  to  assem- 
ble near  Richmond  when  it  was  known  that  the  king  would 
go  hunting  there.  It  said  that  special  note  had  been  made 
of  the  offer  of  Sir  Marmaduke' s  son  to  mingle  among 
the  king's  attendants  and  to  fire  the  first  shot,  as  in  the 
confusion  he  would  be  able  to  escape,  and  being  but  a 
boy,  as  he  said,  none  would  be  able  to  recognize  him 
afterwards. 

"In  the  event,  of  course,  of  the  first  shot  failing,  the 
rest  of  the  party  gathered  in  a  body  would  rush  forward, 
despatch  the  usurper,  cut  their  way  sword  in  hand  through 
any  who  barred  their  path  to  the  point  where  their  horses 
were  concealed,  and  then  at  once  scatter  in  various  direc- 
tions. For  this  great  service  his  majesty  would  not  fail  to 
evince  the  deepest  gratitude  upon  his  restoration  to  his 
rightful  throne,  and  pledged  his  royal  word  that  each  of 
the  party  should  receive  rank  and  dignity,  together  with 
ample  estates,  from  the  lands  of  which  the  chief  supporters 
of  the  usurper  would  be  deprived. 

"So  you  see,  Charlie,  you  were  to  have  the  honour  of 
playing  the  chief  part  in  this  tragedy." 

"Honour  indeed!"  Charlie  exclaimed  passionately. 
"Dishonour,  sir.     Was  there  ever  so  infamous  a  plot! " 

"It  is  a  well-laid  plot,  Charlie,  and  does  credit  to  the 
scoundrel  who  planned  it.  You  see,  he  made  certain  that 
Sir  Marmaduke  would  be  attainted  and  his  estates  for- 
feited, but  there  existed  just  a  possibility  that  as  you  are 
but  a  boy,  though  a  good  big  one,  it  might  be  thought  that, 
as  you  were  innocent  of  the  business,  a  portion  at  least  of 
the  estate  might  be  handed  to  you.  To  prevent  this  it 
was  necessary  that  you  also  should  be  mixed  up  in  the 
affair." 


A  RESCUE  53 

''  Has  John  Dormay  appeared  in  the  matter  so  far,  Mr. 
Jervoise?  " 

"  Not  openly,  Charlie.     My  informant  knows  that  there 
have  been  two  or  three  meetings  of  Whig  magistrates  with 
closed  doors,  and  that  at  these  he  has  been  present,  and  he 
has  no  doubt  whatever  that  it  is  he  who  has  set  the  ball 
rolling.     Still  there  is  no  proof  of  this,  and  he  did  not 
appear  yesterday.     The  man  who  did  appear  was  the  rascal 
who  tried  to  overhear  us  the  other  night.     He  stated  that 
he  had  been  instigated  by  a  gentleman  of  great  loyalty — 
here  one  of  the  magistrates  broke  in,  and  said  no  name 
must  be  mentioned — to  enter  the  household  of  Sir  Marma- 
duke,  a  gentleman  who,  as  he  believed,  was  trafficking  with 
the  king's  enemies.     He  had  agreed  to  do  this  in  spite  of 
the  danger  of  such  employment,  moved  thereto  not  so  much 
by  the  hope  of  a  reward  as  from  his  great  loyalty  to  his 
majesty,  and  a  desire  to  avert  from  him  his  great  danger 
from   popish   plots.     Having   succeeded    in   entering   Sir 
Marmaduke's  service,  he  soon  discovered  that  six  gentle- 
men, to  wit,  myself  and  five  friends,  were  in  the  habit  of 
meeting  at  Lynnwood,  where  they  had  long  and  secret  talks. 
Knowing  the  deep  enmity  and  hostility  these  men  bore 
towards  his  gracious  majesty,  he  determined  to  run  any 
hazard  even  to  the  loss  of  his  life  to  learn  the  purport  of 
such  gatherings,  and  did  therefore  conceal  himself,  on  one 
occasion  behind  the  hangings  of  a  window,  and  on  another 
listened  at  an  open  casement,  and  did  hear  much  conversa- 
tion regarding  the  best  manner  in  which  the  taking  of  the 
king's  life  could  be  accomplished.     This   it  was  agreed 
should  be  done  in  the  forest  at  Richmond,  where  all  should 
lie  in  wait,  the  said  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs  undertaking 
that  he  and  his  son  would,  in  the  first  place,  fire  with  pistol 
or  musquetoon,  and  that  only  if  they  should  fail  the  rest 
should  charge  forward  on  horse,  overthrow  the  king's  com- 
panions, and  despatch  him,  Mr.  William  Jervoise  under- 


M  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

taking  the  management  of  this  part  of  the  enterprise.  No 
date  was  settled  for  this  wicked  business,  it  being,  however, 
agreed  that  all  should  journey  separately  to  London,  and 
take  up  their  lodging  there  under  feigned  names,  lying  hid 
until  they  heard  from  a  friend  at  court,  whose  name  was 
not  mentioned,  a  day  on  which  the  king  would  hunt  at 
Richmond.  He  further  testified  that,  making  another 
attempt  to  overhear  the  conspirators  in  order  that  he  might 
gather  fuller  details  as  to  the  manner  of  the  plot,  he  was 
seen  by  Master  Charles  Carstairs,  who,  taking  him  by  sur- 
prise, grievously  assaulted  him,  and  that  he  and  the  others 
would  have  slain  him,  had  he  not  overthrown  Master  Car- 
stairs  and  effected  his  escape  before  the  others,  rushing  out 
sword  in  hand,  had  time  to  assail  him. 

"During  his  stay  at  Lynnwood  he  had  several  times 
watched  at  the  window  of  the  room  where  Sir  Marmaduke 
Carstairs  sits  when  alone,  and  where  he  writes  his  letters 
and  transacts  business,  and  that  he  observed  him  more  than 
once  peruse  attentively  papers  that  seemed  to  be  of  impor- 
tance, for  after  reading  them  he  would  lay  them  down  and 
walk,  as  if  disturbed  or  doubtful  in  mind,  up  and  down  the 
room,  and  these  papers  he  placed  when  he  had  done  with 
them  in  the  bottom  drawer  of  a  desk  in  his  cabinet,  the  said 
desk  being  always  carefully  locked  by  him. 

"  That  is  all  that  I  learnt  from  Lancaster,  save  that  in- 
structions have  been  given  that  no  pains  should  be  spared 
to  secure  the  persons  of  those  engaged  in  the  plot,  and  that 
a  special  watch  was  to  be  set  at  the  northern  ports,  lest  they 
should,  finding  their  guilt  discovered,  try  to  escape  from 
the  kingdom.  So  you  see  that  your  good  father.  Sir 
Marmaduke,  is  in  a  state  of  sore  peril,  and  that  the  rest  of 
us,  including  yourself,  will  be  in  a  like  strait  if  they  can 
lay  hands  on  us." 

"But  it  is  all  false!"  Charlie  exclaimed.  "It  is  a  lie 
from  beginning  to  end." 


A   RESCUE  55 

"That  is  so,  but  we  cannot  prove  it.  The  matter  is  so 
cunningly  laid,  I  see  no  way  to  pick  a  hole  in  it.  We  are 
Jacobites,  and  as  such  long  regarded  as  objects  of  suspicion 
by  the  Whig  magistrates  and  others.  There  have  been 
other  plots  against  William's  life,  in  which  men  of  seeming 
reputation  have  been  concerned.  This  man's  story  will  be 
confirmed  by  the  man  who  set  him  on,  and  by  other  hidden 
papers  if  necessary.  As  to  the  discovery  of  the  documents, 
we  may  know  well  enough  that  the  fellow  himself  put  them 
there,  but  we  have  no  manner  of  proof  of  it.  It  is  evident 
that  there  is  nothing  for  us  but  to  leave  the  country,  and  to 
await  the  time  when  the  king  shall  have  his  own  again.  My 
other  friends,  who  were  with  me  this  afternoon  when  the 
news  came  from  Lancaster,  all  agreed  that  it  would  be 
throwing  away  our  lives  to  stay  here.  We  all  have  money 
by  us,  for  each  has  for  years  laid  by  something  for  the 
time  when  money  will  be  required  to  aid  the  king  on  his 
arrival. 

"  Having  agreed  to  take  this  course,  we  drew  up  a  docu- 
ment, which  we  all  signed,  and  which  will  be  sent  in  when 
we  have  got  clear  away.  In  it  we  declare  that  being 
informed  that  accusations  of  being  concerned  in  a  plot 
against  the  life  of  William  of  Orange  have  been  brought 
against  us,  we  declare  solemnly  before  God  that  we,  and 
also  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs  and  his  son,  are  wholly  inno- 
cent of  the  charge,  and  that  although  we  do  not  hesitate  to 
declare  that  we  consider  the  title  of  the  said  William  to  be 
king  of  this  realm  to  be  wholly  unfounded  and  without 
reason,  and  should  therefore  take  up  arms  openly  against  it 
on  behalf  of  our  sovereign  did  occasion  offer,  yet  that  we 
hold  assassination  in  abhorrence,  and  that  the  crime  with 
which  we  are  charged  is  as  hateful  in  our  sight  as  in  that 
of  any  Whig  gentleman.  As,  however,  we  are  charged,  as 
we  learn,  by  evilly  disposed  and  wicked  persons,  of  this 
design,  and  have  no  means  of  proving  our  innocence,  we 


56  '       A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

are  forced  to  leave  the  realm  until  such  time  shall  arrive 
when  we  can  rely  on  a  fair  trial,  when  our  reputation  and 
honour  will  weigh  against  the  word  of  suborned  perjurers 
and  knaves. 

"We  were  not  forgetful  of  your  father's  case,  and  we 
debated  long  as  to  whether  our  remaining  here  could  do 
him  service.  We  even  discussed  the  possibility  of  raising 
a  force  and  attacking  Lancaster  Castle.  We  agreed,  how- 
ever, that  this  would  be  nothing  short  of  madness.  The 
country  is  wholly  unprepared  at  present.  The  Whigs  are 
on  the  alert,  and  such  an  attempt  would  cost  the  lives  of 
most  of  those  concerned  in  it;  besides  we  are  all  sure  that 
Sir  Marmaduke  would  be  the  first  to  object  to  numbers  of 
persons  risking  their  lives  in  an  attempt  which,  even  if  for 
the  moment  successful,  must  bring  ruin  upon  all  concerned 
in  it.  Nor  do  we  see  that  were  we  to  remain  and  to  stand 
in  the  dock  beside  him,  it  would  aid  him.  Our  word 
would  count  for  no  more  than  would  this  protest  and 
denial  that  we  have  signed  together.  A  prisoner's  plea 
of  not  guilty  has  but  a  feather's  weight  against  sworn 
evidence. 

"At  the  same  time,  Charlie,  I  do  not  intend  to  leave  the 
country  until  I  am  sure  that  nothing  can  be  done.  As  force 
is  out  of  the  question,  I  have  advised  the  others  to  lose  not 
an  hour  in  trying  to  escape,  and  by  this  time  they  are  all 
on  the  road.  Two  are  making  for  Bristol,  one  for  South- 
ampton, and  two  for  London.  It  would  be  too  dangerous 
to  attempt  to  escape  by  one  of  the  northern  ports;  but 
though  force  cannot  succeed,  we  may  be  able  to  effect  your 
father's  escape  by  other  means,  and  it  is  for  this  purpose 
that  I  am  determined  to  stay,  and  I  shall  do  so  until  all 
hope  is  gone.  Alone  you  could  effect  nothing;  but  I, 
knowing  who  are  our  secret  friends,  may  be  able  to  use 
them  to  advantage.  We  will  stay  here  to-night,  but  to- 
morrow we  must  change  our  quarters,  for  the  search  will 


A  RESCUE  57 

be  a  close  one.  During  the  day  we  will  go  far  up 
over  the  hills,  but  to-morrow  night  we  will  make  for 
Lancaster.  I  have  warned  friends  there  to  expect  us,  and 
it  is  the  last  place  where  they  would  think  of  searching 
for  us." 

"You  will  take  me  with  you  too,  father?"  Harry  ex- 
claimed eagerly;  while  Charlie  expressed  his  gratitude  to 
Mr.  Jer\-oise  for  thus  determining  to  risk  his  own  life  in 
the  endeavour  to  effect  the  escape  of  Sir  Marmaduke. 

"Yes,  I  intend  to  take  you  with  me,  Harry.  They  will 
pretend,  of  course,  that  in  spite  of  our  assertions  of  inno- 
cence, our  flight  is  a  confession  of  guilt,  and  you  may  be 
sure  that  we  shall  be  condemned  in  our  absence,  and  our 
estates  declared  confiscated,  and  bestowed  upon  some  of 
William's  minions.  There  will  be  no  place  for  you  here. 
My  own  plans  are  laid.  As  you  know,  your  mother  came 
from  the  other  side  of  the  border,  and  a  cousin  of  hers, 
with  whom  I  am  well  acquainted,  has  gone  over  to 
Sweden,  and  holds  a  commission  in  the  army  that  the 
young  king  is  raising  to  withstand  Russia  and  Saxony;  for 
both  are  thinking  of  taking  goodly  slices  of  his  domains. 
I  could  not  sit  down  quietly  in  exile,  and  being  but  forty 
I  am  not  too  old  for  service,  and  shall  take  a  commission 
if  I  can  obtain  it.  There  are  many  Scottish  Jacobites, 
who,  having  fled  rather  than  acknowledge  Dutch  William 
as  their  king,  have  taken  service  in  Sweden,  where  their 
fathers  fought  under  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus;  and 
even  if  I  cannot  myself  take  service,  it  may  be  that  I  shall 
be  able  to  obtain  a  commission  for  you.  You  are  nearly 
sixteen,  and  there  are  many  officers  no  older.  Should  evil 
befall  your  father,  Charlie,  which  I  earnestly  hope  will  not 
be  the  case,  I  shall  regard  you  as  my  son,  and  shall  do  the 
same  for  you  as  for  Harry.  And  now  I  will  to  rest,  for  I 
have  scarce  slept  the  last  two  nights,  and  we  must  be  in  the 
saddle  long  before  daybreak." 


58  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  little  bed-room  that  Charlie  had  used  the  two  previ- 
ous nights  was  given  up  to  Mr.  Jervoise,  while  Harry  and 
Charlie  slept  on  some  sheep-skins  in  front  of  the  kitchen 
fire.  Two  hours  before  daybreak  they  mounted,  and, 
guided  by  the  farmer,  rode  to  a  shepherd's  hut  far  up 
among  the  hills.  Late  in  the  afternoon  a  boy  came  up 
from  the  farm  with  the  news  that  the  place  had  been 
searched  by  a  party  of  troopers.  They  had  ridden  away 
without  discovering  that  the  fugitives  had  been  at  the  farm, 
but  four  of  the  party  had  been  left  in  case  Mr.  Jervoise 
should  come  there.  The  farmer,  therefore,  warned  them 
against  coming  back  that  way,  as  had  been  intended, 
naming  another  place  where  he  would  meet  them.  As 
soon  as  the  sun  was  setting  they  mounted,  and,  accompa- 
nied by  the  shepherd  on  a  rough  pony,  started  for  Lan- 
caster. 

After  riding  for  three  hours  they  stopped  at  a  lonely 
farmhouse,  at  which  Mr.  Jervoise  and  his  friends  had  held 
their  meeting  on  the  previous  day.  Here  they  changed 
their  clothes  for  others  that  had  been  sent  for  their  use 
from  Lancaster.  Mr.  Jervoise  was  attired  as  a  small  trader, 
and  the  lads  in  garb  suitable  to  boys  in  the  same  rank  of 
life.  They  still,  however,  retained  their  swords  and  the 
pistols  in  their  holsters.  Three  miles  farther  they  met 
their  host  as  arranged  at  some  cross-roads,  and  rode  on 
until  within  three  miles  of  Lancaster.  They  then  dis- 
mounted, placed  their  pistols  in  their  belts,  and  handed 
their  horses  to  the  two  men,  who  would  take  them  back  to 
the  hut  in  the  hills,  where  they  would  remain  until  re- 
quired. It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  they 
entered  Lancaster,  and  going  up  to  a  small  house  standing 
in  a  garden  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  Mr.  Jervoise  gave 
three  low  knocks  in  quick  succession.  The  door  was 
opened  almost  immediately.  No  light  was  shown,  and 
they  entered  in  the  dark,  but  as  soon  as  the  door  was  closed 


A   RESCUE  59 

behind  them  a  woman  came  out  with  a  candle  from  an 
inner  room. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  safe,  Mr.  Jervoise,"  a  man  said. 
"  My  wife  and  I  were  beginning  to  be  anxious,  fearing  that 
you  might  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  your  enemies." 

"No,  all  has  gone  well,  Herries;  but  it  is  a  long  ride 
from  the  hills  here,  and  we  walked  the  last  three  miles,  as 
we  wanted  to  get  the  horses  back  again  before  daylight. 
We  are  deeply  grateful  to  you  for  giving  us  shelter." 

"I  would  be  ready  to  do  more  than  that,"  the  man  said, 
"for  the  sake  of  the  good  cause.  My  wife's  father  and 
mine  both  fell  at  Naseby,  and  we  are  as  loyal  to  the  Stuarts 
as  they  were.  You  are  heartily  welcome,  sir,  and  as  we 
keep  no  servant  there  will  be  none  to  gossip.  You  can 
either  remain  in  the  house,  in  which  case  none  will  know 
of  your  presence  here;  or  if  you  wish  to  go  abroad  in  the 
town  I  will  accompany  you,  and  will  introduce  you  to  any 
acquaintance  I  may  meet  as  a  cousin  of  my  wife,  who  with 
his  two  sons  has  come  over  from  Preston  to  pay  us  a  visit. 
I  don't  think  that  anyone  would  know  you  in  that  attire." 
"  I  will  run  no  more  risks  than  are  necessary,  Herries. 
Those  I  wish  to  see  will  visit  me  here,  and  if  I  go  out  at 
all  it  will  not  be  until  after  dark." 

For  a  fortnight  they  remained  at  the  house.  After  dark 
each  day  a  man  paid  Mr.  Jer\^oise  a  visit.  He  was  the 
magistrates'  clerk,  and  had  an  apartment  in  the  castle. 
From  him  they  learned  that  a  messenger  had  been  de- 
spatched to  London  with  an  account  of  the  evidence  taken 
in  Sir  Marmaduke's  case,  and  that  at  the  end  of  twelve 
days  he  had  returned  with  orders  that  all  prisoners  and  wit- 
nesses were  to  be  sent  to  town,  where  they  would  be  exam- 
ined in  the  first  place  by  his  majesty's  council,  and  where 
Sir  Marmaduke's  trial  for  high  treason  would  take  place. 
They  were  to  be  escorted  by  a  party  of  t\velve  troopers, 
under  the  command  of  a  lieutenant. 


60  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  fugitives  had  before  learned  that  the  search  for  Mr. 
Jervoise  had  been  given  up;  it  being  supposed  that  he  with 
his  son  and  young  Carstairs  had,  with  their  accomplices, 
all  ridden  for  the  coast  at  the  first  alarm,  and  had  probably 
taken  ship  for  France  before  the  orders  had  arrived  that  all 
outgoing  vessels  should  be  searched. 

Harry  and  Charlie  had  both  been  away  for  two  or  three 
days,  and  had  been  occupied  in  getting  together  ten  young 
fellows  from  the  two  estates,  who  would  be  willing  and 
ready  to  attempt  to  rescue  Sir  Marmaduke  from  his  cap- 
tors' hands.  They  were  able  to  judge  with  tolerable  accu- 
racy when  the  messenger  would  return  from  London,  and 
two  days  previously  the  men  had  been  directed  to  ride 
singly  and  by  different  roads,  and  to  put  up  at  various 
small  inns  in  Manchester,  each  giving  out  that  he  was  a 
farmer  in  from  the  country,  either  to  purchase  supplies  or 
to  meet  with  a  customer  likely  to  buy  some  cattle  he 
wished  to  dispose  of.  Charlie  had  paid  a  visit  to  Lynn- 
wood,  and  had  gone  by  the  long  passage  into  the  Priest's 
Chamber,  and  had  carried  off  the  gold  hidden  there.  As 
soon  as  it  was  known  that  the  messenger  had  returned, 
Herries  had  borrowed  a  horse  and  had  ridden  with  a  note 
to  the  farmer,  telling  him  to  go  up  to  the  hills  and  bring 
the  horses  down  with  one  of  his  own  to  the  place  where 
he  had  parted  from  them  when  they  entered  Lancaster. 

There  he  was  met  by  Mr.  Jervoise  and  the  lads,  and 
mounting,  they  started  with  the  spare  horse  for  Blackburn, 
choosing  that  line  in  preference  to  the  road  through  Pres- 
ton, as  there  were  troops  stationed  at  the  latter  town.  The 
next  day  they  rode  on  to  Manchester.  They  went  round 
that  evening  to  the  various  inns  where  the  men  had  put 
up,  and  directed  them  to  discover  whether,  as  was  proba- 
ble, the  escort  was  to  arrive  that  night.  If  so,  they  were 
to  mount  at  daybreak  and  assemble  where  the  road  crossed 
the  moor  three  miles  north  of  Chapel-le-Frith,  where  they 


A   RESCUE 


61 


would  find  Mr.  Jervoise  awaiting  them.  At  nine  o'clock 
that  evening  the  troop  rode  in,  and  at  daybreak  Mr.  Jer- 
voise and  the  boys  started.  Two  of  the  men  were  already 
at  the  spot  indicated,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  whole  of 
them  had  arrived. 

Mr.  Jervoise  led  them  back  to  a  spot  that  he  had  selected, 
where  the  road  dipped  into  a  deep  valley,  in  which,  shel- 
tered from  the  winds,  was  a  small  wood.     Leaving  one  at 
the  edge  to  give  warning  directly  the  escort  appeared  on 
the  road  over  the  brow,  he  told  the  rest  to  dismount.     Most 
of   them  were  armed  with  pistols,  all  had  swords.     "Do 
you,"  he  said,  "who  are  good  shots  with  your  pistols,  fire 
at  the  men  when  I  give  the  word— let  the  rest  aim  at  the 
horses.     The  moment  you  have  opened  fire  dash  forward 
and  fall  on  them.     We  are  already  as  numerous  as  they  are, 
and  we  ought  to  be  able  to  dismount  or  disable  four  or  five 
of  them  with  our  first  fire.     I  shall  give  the  order  as  Sir 
Marmaduke  arrives  opposite  me.     Probably  the  officer  will 
be  riding.     I  shall  make  the  officer  my  special  mark,  for  it 
may  be  that  he  has  orders  to  shoot  the  prisoner  if  any 
rescue  is  attempted. 

"I  don't  suppose  they  will  be  at  all  prepared  for  an 
attack.  They  were  vigilant,  no  doubt,  for  the  first  two 
days,  but  once  out  of  Lancashire  they  will  think  that  there 
is  no  longer  any  fear  of  an  attempt  at  rescue.  Pursue 
those  that  escape  for  half  a  mile  or  so,  and  then  draw  rein, 
and  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of  sight  strike  due  north  across 
the  fells.  Keep  to  the  east  of  Glossop,  and  then  make  your 
way  singly  to  your  homes.  It  will  be  better  for  you  to 
travel  up  through  Yorkshire  till  you  are  north  of  Ingle- 
borough,  so  as  to  come  down  from  the  north  to  your  farms. 
I  know  that  you  have  all  engaged  in  this  affair  for  love  of 
Sir  Marmaduke  or  myself,  and  because  you  hate  to  see  a 
loyal  gentleman  made  the  victim  of  lying  knaves,  but  when 
we  come  back  with  the  king  you  may  be   sure  that  Sir 


62  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

Marmaduke  and  I  will  well  reward  the  services  you  have 
rendered." 

It  was  an  hour  before  the  man  on  the  look-out  warned 
them  that  the  troop  had  just  appeared  over  the  hill.  They 
mounted  now,  and,  pistol  in  hand,  awaited  the  arrival  of 
the  party.  Two  troopers  came  first,  trotting  carelessly 
along,  laughing  and  smoking.  A  hundred  yards  behind 
came  the  main  body,  four  troopers  first,  then  the  lieutenant 
and  Sir  Marmaduke,  followed  by  the  other  six  troopers. 
With  outstretched  arm  and  pistol  pointed  through  the  under- 
growth, Mr.  Jervoise  waited  till  the  officer,  who  was  riding 
on  his  side  of  the  road,  came  abreast  of  him.  He  had 
already  told  the  boys  that  he  intended  to  aim  at  his 
shoulder. 

"They  are  the  enemies  of  the  king,"  he  said,  "but  I 
cannot  in  cold  blood  shoot  down  a  man  with  whom  I  have 
no  cause  for  quarrel.  I  can  depend  upon  my  aim,  and  he 
will  not  be  twelve  paces  from  the  muzzle  of  my  pistol." 

He  fired,  the  officer  gave  a  sudden  start  and  reeled  on 
his  horse,  and  before  he  could  recover  himself  the  band, 
who  had  fired  at  the  flash  of  the  first  pistol,  dashed  out 
through  the  bushes  and  fell  upon  the  troopers.  Four  men 
had  dropped,  one  horse  had  fallen,  and  two  others  were 
plunging  wildly  as  with  a  shout  their  assailants  dashed  upon 
them.  All  who  could  turn  their  horse's  head  rode  furiously 
off,  some  along  the  road  forward,  others  back  towards 
Manchester.  The  lieutenant's  horse  had  rolled  over  with 
him,  as  that  of  Mr.  Jervoise  struck  it  on  the  shoulder  with 
the  full  impetus  of  its  spring. 

"  It  is  all  over.  Sir  Marmaduke,  and  you  are  a  free  man. 
We  have  nothing  to  do  now  but  to  ride  for  it."  And  before 
the  knight  had  fairly  recovered  from  his  astonishment,  he 
found  himself  riding  south  across  the  moor  with  his  son  on 
one  side  of  him  and  Mr.  Jervoise  and  Harry  on  the  other. 

"You  have  saved  my  life,  Jervoise,"  he  said,  holding  out 


CHARLIE   AND    HIS    FRIENDS    RESCUE   SIR    MARMADUKE. 


A  RESCUE  63 

his  hand  to  his  friend.  "They  had  got  me  so  firmly  in 
their  clutches  that  I  thought  my  chances  were  at  an  end. 
How  are  you,  Charlie?  I  am  right  glad  to  see  you  safe  and 
sound,  for  they  had  managed  to  include  you  in  their  pre- 
tended plot,  and  for  aught  I  knew  you  had  been  all  this 
time  lying  in  a  cell  next  mine  in  Lancaster  Castle.  But 
who  are  the  good  fellows  who  helped  you?  " 

Mr.  Jervoise  briefly  gave  an  account  of  the  affair.  "  They 
are  only  keeping  up  a  sham  pursuit  of  the  soldiers,  so  as  to 
send  them  well  on  their  way.  I  told  them  not  to  overtake 
them,  as  there  was  no  occasion  for  any  further  bloodshed 
when  you  were  once  out  of  their  hands.  By  to-morrow 
morning  they  will  all  be  at  work  on  their  farms  again,  and 
if  they  keep  their  own  counsel  need  not  fear." 

Suddenly  Sir  Marmaduke  reined  in  his  horse. 

"We  are  riding  south,"  he  said. 

"Certainly  we  are,"  Mr.  Jervoise  said.  "Why  not? 
That  is  our  only  chance  of  safety.  They  will,  in  the  first 
place,  suspect  us  of  having  doubled  back  to  the  hills,  and 
will  search  every  farmhouse  and  cottage.  Our  only  hope 
of  escape  is  to  ride  either  for  Bristol  or  one  of  the  southern 
ports." 

"I  must  go  back,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said  doggedly.  "I 
must  kill  that  scoundrel  John  Dormay  before  I  do  anything 
else.  It  is  he  who  has  wound  this  precious  skein  in  order 
to  entrap  us,  expecting,  the  scoundrel,  to  have  my  estates 
bestowed  on  him  as  a  reward." 

"  It  were  madness  to  ride  back  now.  Sir  Marmaduke.  It 
would  cost  you  your  life,  and  you  would  leave  Charlie  here 
fatherless,  and  with  but  little  chance  of  ever  regaining  the 
estate.  You  have  but  to  wait  for  a  time,  and  everything 
will  right  itself.  As  soon  as  the  king  comes  to  his  own 
your  estates  will  be  restored,  and  then  I  would  not  seek  to 
stay  your  hand  if  you  sought  vengeance  upon  this  cunning 
Jinave/^ 


64  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Besides,  father,"  Charlie  put  in,  "much  as  he  deserves 
any  punishment  you  can  give  him,  you  would  not  kill  cousin 
Celia's  husband  and  Ciceley's  father.  When  the  truth  is 
all  made  known  his  punishment  will  be  bitter  enough,  for 
no  honest  man  would  offer  him  a  hand,  or  sit  down  to  a 
meal  with  him.  Ciceley  has  been  as  a  young  sister  to  me, 
and  her  mother  has  ever  been  as  kind  as  if  she  had  been 
my  aunt.  I  would  not  see  them  grieved  even  if  that  rogue 
came  off  scot-free  from  punishment;  but  at  any  rate,  father, 
I  pray  you  to  let  it  pass  at  present.  This  time  we  have 
happily  got  you  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  Whigs,  but  if  you 
fell  into  them  again  you  may  be  sure  they  would  never  give 
us  another  chance." 

Sir  Marmaduke  still  sat  irresolute,  and  Charlie  went 
on :  "  Besides,  father,  Mr.  Jervoise  has  risked  his  life  in 
lingering  in  Lancashire  to  save  you,  and  the  brave  fellows 
who  aided  us  to  rescue  you  have  risked  theirs  both  in  the 
fray  and  afterwards,  if  their  share  in  it  should  ever  be  known, 
and  it  would  not  be  fair  to  risk  failure  after  all  they  have 
done.  I  pray  you,  father,  be  guided  by  the  opinion  of  your 
good  friend  Mr.  Jervoise." 

Sir  Marmaduke  touched  his  horse's  flank  with  his  heel. 

"  You  have  prevailed,  Charlie;  your  last  argument  decided 
me.  I  have  no  right  to  risk  my  life  after  my  good  friends 
have  done  so  much  to  save  me.  John  Dormay  may  enjoy 
his  triumph  for  a  while,  but  a  day  of  reckoning  will  surely 
come.  Now  tell  me  of  the  others,  Jervoise.  Have  all 
escaped  in  safety?" 

"  All.  Your  boy  brought  me  the  news  of  your  arrest  and 
that  we  were  charged  with  plotting  William's  assassination. 
I  rode  that  night  with  the  news,  and  next  day  all  were  on 
the  road  to  the  coast,  and  were  happily  on  board  and  away 
before  the  news  of  their  escape  could  be  sent  to  the 
ports." 

"  And  now,  what  are  your  plans,  Jervoise — that  is,  if  you 


A   RESCUE  65 

have  any  plans  beyond  reaching  a  port  and  taking  ship  for 
France?  " 

"I  am  going  to  Sweden,"  Mr.  Jerv'oise  said,  and  then 
repeated  the  reasons  that  he  had  given  Charlie  for  taking 
this  step. 

"I  am  too  old  for  the  wars,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said.  "I 
was  sixty  last  birthday,  and  though  I  am  still  strong  and 
active,  and  could  strike  a  shrewd  blow  in  case  of  need,  I 
am  too  old  for  the  fatigues  and  hardships  of  campaigning. 
I  could  not  hope  at  my  age  to  obtain  a  commission  in  the 
Swedish  service." 

"No,  I  did  not  think  of  your  joining  the  army.  Sir  Mar- 
maduke, though  I  warrant  you  would  do  as  well  as  most, 
but  I  thought  that  you  might  take  up  your  residence  at 
Stockholm  as  well  as  at  St.  Germains.  You  will  find  many 
Scottish  gentlemen  there,  and  not  a  few  Jacobites,  who, 
like  yourself,  have  been  forced  to  fly.  Besides,  both  the 
life  and  air  would  suit  you  better  than  at  St.  Germains, 
where  by  all  accounts  the  life  is  a  gay  one,  and  men  come 
to  think  more  of  pleasure  than  of  duty.  IMoreover,  your 
money  will  go  much  further  in  Sweden  than  in  France." 

Sir  Marmaduke,  checking  the  horse's  speed,  said,  "I 
have  not  so  much  as  a  penny  in  my  pocket,  and  methinks 
I  am  like  to  have  some  trouble  in  getting  at  the  hoard 
I  have  been  collecting  ever  since  Dutch  William  came 
to  the  throne  for  the  benefit  of  His  Majesty  when  he 
arrives." 

"You  will  have  no  trouble  in  getting  at  that,  father," 
Charlie  said  laughing,  "seeing  that  you  have  nothing  to  do 
but  to  lean  over  and  put  your  hand  into  my  holsters,  which 
are  so  full,  as  you  see,  that  I  am  forced  to  carry  my  pistols 
in  my  belt." 

"What  mean  you,  lad?  " 

"  I  mean,  father,  that  I  have  the  whole  of  the  hoard  that 
was  stowed  away  in^the  priest's  hiding-place;  "  and  he  then 


66  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

related  how  Banks  had  revealed  to  him  the  secret  of  the 
hiding-place,  and  how  he  had,  the  night  before  Sir  Marma- 
duke  was  removed  from  Lancaster  Castle,  visited  the  place 
and  carried  away  the  money.  "  I  could  not  see  Banks,"  he 
said,  "but  I  left  a  few  words  on  a  scrap  of  paper,  saying 
that  it  was  I  who  had  taken  the  money,  otherwise  he  would 
have  been  in  a  terrible  taking  when  he  discovered  that  it 
was  gone." 

"  That  is  right  good  news  indeed,  lad.  For  twelve  years 
I  have  set  aside  half  my  rents,  so  that  in  those  bags  in 
your  holsters  there  are  six  years'  income,  and  the  interest 
of  that  money  laid  out  in  good  mortgages  will  suffice 
amply  for  my  wants  in  a  country  like  Sweden,  where  life  is 
simple  and  living  cheap.  The  money  itself  shall  remain 
untouched  for  your  use  should  our  hopes  fail  and  the  estates 
be  lost  for  all  time.  That  is  indeed  a  weight  off  my  mind. 
And  you  are,  I  hope,  in  equally  good  case,  Jervoise,  for  if 
not,  you  know  that  I  would  gladly  share  with  you?  " 

"  I  am  in  very  good  case.  Sir  Marmaduke,  though  I  none 
the  less  thank  you  for  your  offer.  I  too  have,  as  you  know, 
put  aside  half  my  income.  My  estates  are  not  so  large  as 
those  of  Lynnwood.  Their  acreage  may  be  as  large,  but 
a  good  deal  of  it  is  mountain  land,  worth  but  little.  My 
fund,  therefore,  is  not  as  large  as  yours,  but  it  amounts  to 
a  good  round  sum;  and  as  I  hope,  either  in  the  army  or  in 
some  other  way,  to  earn  an  income  for  myself,  it  is  ample. 
I  shall  be  sorry  to  divert  it  from  the  use  for  which  I  in- 
tended it,  but  that  cannot  now  be  helped.  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  year  by  year  of  putting  it  by  for  the  king's  use, 
and  now  that  circumstances  have  changed,  it  will  be 
equally  useful  to  myself." 

"Do  you  know  this  country  well,  Jervoise?  " 

"  Personally  I  know  nothing  about  it  save  that  the  sun 
tells  me  that  at  present  I  am  travelling  south,  Sir  Marma- 
duke; but  for  the  last  few  days  I  have  been  so  closely 


A   RESCUE 


67 


studying  a  map  that  I  know  the  name  of  every  town  and 

village  on  the  various  routes." 

"And  whither  think  you  of  going?" 

-"To  London  or  Southampton.  Strangers  are  far  less 
noticed  in  large  towns  than  in  small,  and  we  could  hardly 
hope  to  find  a  ship  bound  for  Sweden  in  any  of  the  Dorset 
or  Devon  ports." 


CHAPTER   IV 


m   SWEDEN 


AFTER  much  discussion  the  party  agreed  that  it  would 
be  best  to  make  for  Southampton.  The  road  thither 
was  less  frequented  than  that  leading  to  London,  and  there 
were  fewer  towns  to  be  passed  and  less  chance  of  interrup- 
tion. Mr.  Jervoise  had  brought  with  him  a  valise  and  suit 
of  clothes  for  Sir  Marmaduke,  of  sober  cut  and  fashion. 
They  avoided  all  large  towns,  and  at  the  places  where  they 
put  up  represented  themselves  as  traders  travelling  from 
the  Midlands  to  the  southern  coast,  and  they  arrived  at 
Southampton  without  having  excited  the  smallest  suspicion. 
Indeed,  throughout  the  journey  they  had  heard  no  word  of 
the  affray  near  Chapel-le-Frith,  and  knew,  therefore,  that 
the  news  had  not  travelled  as  fast  as  they  had.  At  South- 
ampton, however,  they  had  scarcely  put  up  at  an  inn  when 
the  landlord  said: 

"  I  suppose,  gentlemen,  they  are  talking  of  nothing  else 
in  London  but  the  rescue  of  a  desperate  Jacobite  by  his 
friends.     The  news  only  reached  here  yesterday." 

"It  has  occasioned  a  good  deal  of  scare,"  Mr.  Jervoise 
replied.  "  I  suppose  there  is  no  word  of  the  arrest  of  the 
man  or  his  accomplices?  We  have  travelled  but  slowly, 
and  the  news  may  have  passed  us  on  the  way." 

"Not  as  yet,"  the  landlord  replied.  "They  say  that  all 
the  northern  and  eastern  ports  are  watched,  and  they  make 

68 


IN   SWEDEN  69 

sure  of  catching  him  if  he  presents  himself  there.  The 
general  opinion  is  that  he  will  for  a  time  go  into  hiding 
with  his  friends  in  the  hills  of  Cumberland  or  Westmore- 
land, or  perhaps  on  the  Yorkshire  moors;  but  they  are  sure 
to  catch  him  sooner  or  later." 

"It  is  a  bad  business  altogether,"  Mr.  Jer\'oise  said, 
"and  we  can  only  hope  that  all  guilty  persons  will  in  time 
get  the  punishment  they  so  well  deserve.  How  can  trade 
be  carried  on  if  the  country  is  to  be  disturbed  by  plots  and 
conspiracies?  " 

"  How,  indeed?  "  the  landlord  repeated  heartily.  "  I  do 
not  meddle  in  politics,  being  content  to  earn  my  living 
by  my  business,  and  to  receive  all  who  can  pay  their  reck- 
oning, without  caring  a  jot  whether  they  be  Whigs  or 
Tories?  " 

The  next  morning  IMr.  Jerv^oise  and  Sir  Marmaduke  went 
down  to  the  port,  leaving  the  lads  to  wander  about  the 
town  at  their  pleasure,  as  two  persons  were  likely  to  attract 
less  attention  than  four.  They  found  that  there  were  two 
vessels  in  port  loading  with  munitions  of  war  for  Sweden, 
and  that  one  of  them  would  sail  shortly.  They  at  once 
went  on  board  her  and  saw  the  captain. 

"  Do  you  carry  any  passengers?  " 

"None  have  applied  so  far,"  the  captain  said;  "but  if 
they  were  to  offer  I  should  not  say  no  to  them." 

"We  want  to  take  passage  for  Sweden,"  Mr.  Jervoise 
said.  "The  King  of  that  country  is,  as  they  say,  fitting  out 
an  army.  Clothes  are  as  necessary  for  troops  as  swords 
and  guns,  and  we  think  we  could  obtain  a  contract  for  these 
goods.  There  is  no  hope  of  doing  so  unless  we  ourselves 
go  over,  and  though  sorely  loath  to  do  so,  for  neither  of  us 
have  ever  before  set  foot  on  board  a  ship,  we  determined  on 
making  the  journey  together  with  our  two  clerks,  for  w^hom 
we  will  take  passage  at  the  same  rate  as  for  ourselves,  seeing 
that  they  are  both  related  to  us." 


70  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

" Have  you  any  goods  with  you?  " 

"  We  shall  take  over  but  a  bale  or  two  of  cloth  as  samples 
of  the  goods  we  can  supply;  but  beyond  that  we  have  but 
little  luggage,  seeing  that  our  stay  may  be  a  very  short  one." 

There  was  a  little  haggling  for  terms,  as  the  two  gentle- 
men did  not  wish  to  appear  eager  to  go;  but  the  matter 
was  finally  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  both  parties.  On 
their  return  to  the  inn  Mr.  Jervoise  took  the  host  aside. 
"  We  have  business  connected  with  our  trade  in  cloth  in 
Sweden,  where  we  hope  to  obtain  a  large  contract.  The 
matter  may  occupy  us  a  week,  or  a  month  or  two  for  aught 
we  know,  and  we  do  not  want  our  horses  to  be  eating  their 
heads  off  here  while  we  are  away.  Besides,  we  may  be  able 
on  our  return  to  take  a  passage  to  one  of  the  Devonshire 
ports,  which  would  suit  us  much  better,  but  we  should  not 
be  able  to  do  so  if  there  were  need  for  returning  here  for  our 
horses.  Therefore,  we  would  fain  dispose  of  them,  and  if 
you  can  find  us  a  purchaser  by  to-morrow  night  we  will  pay 
you  a  fair  commission  on  the  money  we  receive." 

"I  doubt  not  that  I  can  do  that  readily  enough,"  the 
landlord  said.  "  Three  of  them  are  fine  animals,  fit  for  any 
gentleman's  riding;  the  other  is  a  stout  hackney.  Trust 
me,  I  will  get  the  best  price  I  can  for  them." 

The  next  day  he  came  up  to  their  room.  "  I  have  had  a 
good  offer  for  the  horses,"  he  said.  "Two  gentlemen  who 
arrived  yesterday  from  France,  and  are  staying  at  the  inn  of 
a  friend  of  mine,  are  requiring  horses  for  themselves  and 
their  servants,  and  I  have  promised  my  friend  a  slice  of  my 
commission  if  he  will  bilng  them  round  hither.  Will  you 
name  your  price  for  them?  " 

"No,  I  would  rather  not,"  Mr.  Jervoise  said  cautiously. 
"  If  we  asked  too  high  a  figure  we  might  frighten  the  pur- 
chasers away;  if  we  should  ask  too  little  we  should  be  the 
losers.  I  daresay  they  have  named  to  your  friend  the  price 
they  are  willing  to  give.     You  had  better  ask  from  them  a 


IN   SWEDEN  71 

good  bit  above  that,  then  you  can  come  down  little  by  little, 
and  maybe,  seeing  the  horses  are  really  good  ones,  they  may 
advance  a  bit.  I  am  not  used  to  a  horse  deal,  and  will 
leave  it  to  you  to  make  the  bargain.  We  are  sorry  to  part 
with  the  animals,  but  they  might  die  on  the  voyage,  or  get 
so  injured  as  to  be  worthless;  and,  moreover,  we  shall  have 
no  use  for  them  there.  Therefore,  as  we  must  sell  we  are 
ready  to  take  the  best  terms  we  can  get." 

When  they  returned  to  the  inn,  after  an  absence  of  two 
hours,  they  found  that  the  landlord  had  sold  the  horses  for 
a  sum  nearly  approaching  their  value,  the  gentlemen  being 
as  anxious  to  purchase  them  as  they  were  to  sell.  The  next 
day  they  bought  three  or  four  rolls  of  west  country  cloth 
and  a  supply  of  clothes  suitable  to  their  condition,  together 
with  trunks  for  their  carriage.  All  these  were  sent  down  to 
the  ship  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  and  they  themselves 
embarked  late  in  the  evening,  as  she  was  to  set  sail  at 
daybreak. 

The  lads,  accustomed  to  spacious  and  airy  rooms,  were 
quite  taken  aback  at  the  small  and  stuffy  cabin  allotted  to 
their  joint  use,  and  slept  but  badly,  for  the  loading  of  the 
ship  continued  by  torchlight,  until  within  an  hour  of  the 
time  of  their  departure.  After  tossing  about  for  some  hours 
in  their  narrow  beds  they  were  glad  to  go  on  deck  and  to 
plunge  their  heads  into  a  pail  of  water,  and  were  then,  after 
combing  their  long  hair,  able  to  take  an  interest  in  what 
was  passing  round  them.  The  sailors  were  busy  stowing 
away  the  cargo  last  received,  tidying  the  decks,  and  coiling 
down  the  ropes.  There  were  but  few  persons  on  the  quay, 
for  those  who  had  been  engaged  in  loading  the  cargo  had 
gone  off  to  bed  as  soon  as  the  last  bale  was  on  board. 

In  half  an  hour  the  sailors  began  to  hoist  the  sails,  the 
hawsers  were  thrown  off,  and  with  a  gentle  wind  blowing  aft 
the  ship  glided  along  past  the  shore,  being  helped  by  the 
tide,  which  had  begun  to  ebb  half  an  hour  before.     The 


72  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

lads  were  greatly  interested  in  watching  the  well-wooded 
slope  on  the  left,  with  the  stately  ruins  of  Tintern  Abbey 
rising  above  the  trees.  Then  they  passed  the  round  fort  at 
the  water's  edge  on  their  right,  and  issued  out  from  South- 
ampton Water  into  the  broad  sheet  between  the  island  and 
the  mainland.  It  was  dotted  with  sails,  fishing  craft  and 
coasters  for  the  most  part,  but  with  some  larger  ships  bound 
from  the  east  to  Southampton,  and  others  that  had  come  in 
through  the  Solent.  This  was  very  entertaining  to  the  boys, 
and  they  were  still  more  pleased  when  they  saw  the  forti- 
fications of  Portsmouth,  with  cannon  pointing  seaward,  and 
with  many  vessels  riding  in  the  strait  by  the  side  of  the 
town. 

"  That  fort  would  give  the  French  or  the  Dutch  a  hot 
reception  were  they  at  any  time  to  think  to  capture  the 
dock-yard  and  shipping,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said. 

"  The  Dutch  have  already  captured  the  place,  and  that 
without  shedding  a  drop  of  blood,"  Mr.  Jervoise  remarked. 

"That  is  true  enough,"  the  knight  said,  stamping  his  foot 
angrily  on  the  deck,  "  but  what  has  been  won  so  easily  may 
be  lost  as  quickly.  I  have  seen  several  changes  since  I 
can  first  remember,  and  I  hope  I  may  live  to  see  another. 
However,  we  need  not  talk  of  that  now." 

"No,  indeed,"  Mr.  Jervoise  agreed.  "It  may  be.  Sir 
Marmaduke,  that  it  would  be  better  if  we  had  talked  and 
thought  less  of  it  during  the  last  twelve  years,  better  for 
ourselves  and  for  these  lads.  We  might  still  have  been 
ready  to  join  His  Majesty  as  soon  as  he  landed,  but  as,  till 
then,  we  could  do  nothing,  it  seems  to  me  now  that  it  would 
have  been  wiser  had  we  gone  about  our  business  without 
worrying  our  heads,  to  say  nothing  of  risking  them,  about 
a  matter  that  may  not  take  place  during  our  lives;  as  we 
know  well  enough  the  King  of  France  uses  the  Stuarts  only 
for  his  own  convenience,  and  at  heart  cares  nothing  for 
them  or  their  cause.     It  is  convenient  to  have  the  means  of 


IN  SWEDEN 


creating  trouble  here,  and  of  so  weakening  William:  and 
it  may  be  that  some  day  or  other  it  may  suit  him  to  send 
over  an  army  here  to  fight  William  with  the  aid  of  the 
Stuarts'  friends,  instead  of  fighting  him  in  Holland  or  else- 
where. But  whether  he  may  think  fit  to  do  so  in  one  year 
or  in  twenty  years  hence  who  can  say?  It  is  a  question 
solely  of  military  policy. 

"The  Stuarts  are  simply  used  by  the  French  king  to  pull 
English  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire.  I  would  that  they  had 
established  themselves  anrwhere  rather  than  in  France.  It 
does  them  harm  with  vast  numbers  who  would  otherwise  be 
their  friends,  at  any  rate  in  England.  In  Scotland  it  is  other- 
wise, for  Scotland  has  always  been  in  alliance  with  France; 
but  in  England  it  is  different.  France  has  always  been  the 
national  foe;  and  had  not  Charles  and  James  proved  them- 
selves so  subservient  to  Louis,  William  of  Orange  would 
never  have  been  crowned  king.  There  are  vast  numbers  in 
England  who  would  rather  see  a  Stuart  than  a  Dutchman  on 
the  throne,  but  who  will  never  strike  a  blow  to  replace  them 
there,  and  that  because  they  will  come  over  backed  up  by 
French  bayonets.  Well,  let  us  talk  of  something  else.  If 
the  time  ever  comes  to  act,  we  shall  be  ready,  but  till  then 
we  can  let  the  matter  sleep,  the  more  so  as  we  have  a  new 
life  before  us,  and  plenty  of  other  things  to  occupy  our 


thoughts." 


"What  is  it,  father,"  Harry  asked,  "that  the  Swedes  and 
Danes  are  going  to  fight  about?  " 

"It  is  a  difficult  question,  Harry;  but  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  Denmark  is  in  the  wrong.  The  King  of 
Sweden  died  in  April,  1697.  His  death  was  unfortunate, 
for  the  powers  contending  in  Europe  had  all  agreed  to 
refer  their  quarrels  to  his  mediation,  x^t  his  death  Den- 
mark endeavoured  to  obtain  the  honour,  but  failed;  and 
by  the  mediation  chiefly  of  the  Swedish  regency  peace  was 
concluded  between  France,  England,  and  Holland  in  the 


74  A  JACOBITE  EXILE 

autumn  of  that  year;  and  shortly  afterwards  the  struggle 
between  the  German  Emperor,  France,  and  Spain  was  also 
concluded,  but  not  at  all  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Swedish 
mediators.  While  Sweden  was  occupied  in  this  matter  of 
the  pacification  of  Europe,  the  King  of  Denmark  thought 
to  take  advantage  of  the  fact  that  Charles  of  Sweden  was 
but  a  minor,  to  press  Frederick,  Duke  of  Holstein,  who  was 
in  close  alliance  with  him. 

"There  had  long  been  serious  differences  between  the 
rulers  of  Denmark  and  Holstein,  both  of  whom  were 
branches  of  the  Oldenburg  family,  and  this  in  reference  to 
the  Duchy  of  Schleswig.  The  quarrel  had  arisen  from  the 
act  of  Christian  the  Third  of  Denmark,  who  decreed  that 
the  descendants  of  his  brother  Adolphus  should  govern 
Holstein  jointly  with  the  King  of  Denmark,  and  that  Hol- 
stein and  Schleswig  should  belong  to  them  in  common, 
neither  making  any  change  in  Holstein  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  other  A  more  foolish  arrangement  could  not 
have  been  conceived,  for  anyone  might  have  foreseen  that 
it  would  lead  to  disputes  and  troubles.  In  fact,  quarrels 
continually  arose  until,  at  the  Peace  of  Rosahild  in  1658, 
the  duchy  was  adjudged  to  Denmark.  Holstein,  however, 
never  acquiesced  in  this,  and  in  1675  there  was  war,  when 
Holstein  being  defeated,  the  Danes  imprisoned  its  duke. 
Christian  Albertus,  until  he  signed  a  renunciation  of  all 
his  rights. 

"  His  troops  were  disarmed  and  all  his  towns  and  for- 
tresses garrisoned  by  Danish  troops.  On  his  release  the 
duke  went  to  Hamburg,  where  he  remained  till  at  the 
Peace  of  Fontainebleau,  four  years  later,  he  was  replaced 
in  possession  of  his  estates  and  rights  of  sovereignty.  But 
this  did  not  last  long.  New  troubles  arose,  but  Sweden, 
England,  and  Holland  interested  themselves  in  favour  of 
the  duke,  and  a  peace  was  concluded  in  1689,  by  which  he 
was  confirmed  in  the  rights  given  him  ten  years  before, 


IN   SWEDEN  75 

with  full  liberty  to  raise  a  certain  number  of  troops  and 
of  building  fortresses,  on  the  condition  that  he  should 
raise  none  to  the  prejudice  of  Denmark.  This  was  an- 
other of  those  stipulations  which  inevitably  lead  to  trouble, 
for  it  afforded  to  Denmark  a  pretext  for  continual  com- 
plaint and  interference.  When  Frederick  the  Fourth  suc- 
ceeded his  father  as  Duke  of  Holstein  in  1694  the  quarrel 
grew  so  hot  that  Denmark  would  have  invaded  Holstein 
had  not  the  parties  to  the  Treaty  of  '89  interfered  and 
brought  about  a  conference.  This  lasted  all  through  the 
year  1696,  but  the  negotiators  appointed  to  settle  the 
matter  were  unable  to  arrive  at  any  conclusion. 

"The  following  year  Charles  of  Sweden,  who  had  just 
succeeded  his  father,  furnished  the  duke  with  some  troops, 
to  help  him  to  build  some  forts  that  were  intended  to  pro- 
tect the  frontier  in  case  of  invasion  by  Denmark.  Christian 
of  Denmark  at  once  attacked  and  captured  these  forts  and 
levelled  them  to  the  ground.  The  duke  being  too  weak  to 
engage  in  a  war  with  his  powerful  neighbour  did  not  resent 
this  attack,  and  the  negotiations  were  continued  as  before. 
In  view  of  the  danger  of  the  situation,  and  the  necessity 
for  a  monarch  at  the  head  of  affairs,  the  Swedish  Diet  met 
at  Stockholm  to  take  part  in  the  funeral  of  the  late  king, 
which  was  to  be  performed  on  the  24th  of  November,  and 
to  deliberate  upon  the  situation. 

"  By  the  will  of  the  late  king,  Charles  was  not  to  ascend 
the  throne  until  he  reached  the  age  of  eighteen,  but  the 
diet  passed  a  vote  overruling  this,  and  as  the  regency  con- 
curred, he  was  at  once  crowned,  and  the  alliance  with 
Holstein  was  cemented  by  the  marriage,  that  had  been 
previously  arranged  between  Charles's  eldest  sister  and  the 
Duke  of  Holstein,  being  celebrated  at  Stockholm.  Charles 
Xn.  at  once  concluded  treaties  with  France,  England,  and 
Holland,  while  Denmark  is  reported  to  have  prepared  for 
war  by  making  a  secret  alliance  with  Augustus  of  Saxony, 


76  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

King  of  Poland,  and  the  Czar  of  Russia.  Both  these 
monarchs  were  doubtless  desirous  of  extending  their 
dominions  at  the  cost  of  Sweden,  whose  continental  pos- 
sessions are  considerable. 

"Augustus  is  not  yet  very  firmly  seated  on  the  throne  of 
Poland;  there  are  several  parties  opposed  to  him,  and 
these  united  in  obtaining  from  the  diet  a  refusal  to  pay 
the  Saxon  troops  Augustus  had  brought  with  him.  The 
king  no  doubt  considered  that  these  could  be  employed 
for  the  conquest  of  Livonia,  and  that  the  addition  of  so 
large  a  territory  to  Poland  would  so  add  to  his  popularity 
that  he  would  have  no  further  troubles  in  his  kingdom. 

"Charles  XII.,  being  in  ignorance  of  this  secret  agree- 
ment, sent  an  embassy  to  Russia  to  announce  his  accession 
to  the  throne.  The  ambassadors  were  kept  a  long  time 
waiting  for  an  audience,  as  the  czar  was  bringing  a  war 
with  the  Turks  to  a  conclusion,  and  did  not  wish  to  throw 
off  the  mask  until  he  was  free  to  use  his  whole  force  against 
Sweden.  The  ambassadors  were  at  last  received  civilly, 
but  the  czar  evaded  taking  the  usual  oaths  of  friendship, 
and  after  long  delays  the  embassy  returned  to  Sweden  feel- 
ing somewhat  disquieted  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  czar, 
but  having  no  sure  knowledge  of  them. 

"The  King  of  Poland  was  more  successful  in  disguising 
his  leaning  towards  Denmark,  sending  the  warmest  assur- 
ances to  Charles,  requesting  him  to  act  as  mediator  in  the 
quarrel  between  himself  and  the  Duke  of  Brandenburg,  and 
signing  a  treaty  of  alliance  with  Sweden.  But  while 
Sweden  had  no  idea  of  the  triple  alliance  that  had  been 
formed  against  her,  the  intention  of  Denmark  to  make  war 
was  evident  enough,  for  King  Christian  was  gathering  a 
great  naval  armament.  The  Duke  of  Holstein,  becoming 
much  alarmed  at  these  preparations,  hastened  on  the  forti- 
fications of  Tonningen,  on  the  Eider,  three  leagues  from 
its  mouth.  The  garrison  of  the  place  was  a  weak  one,  and 
a  thousand  Swedish  troops  were  thrown  in  to  strengthen  it. 


IN   SWEDEN  77 

The  King  of  Denmark  complained  that  this  was  a  breach 
of  the  treaty,  but  as  his  own  preparations  for  war  were  un- 
mistakable, no  one  could  blame  the  Duke  of  Holstein  for 
taking  steps  to  defend  his  territories.  As  you  know, 
Christian  of  Denmark  died  about  this  time,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Frederick  the  Fourth. 

"  Last  August  he  commenced  the  war  by  sending  a  naval 
squadron  to  cover  the  passage  of  four  regiments  into 
Pomerania.  Charles  of  Sweden,  seeing  that  Holstein 
must  be  crushed  by  its  powerful  neighbour,  called  upon 
Holland  and  the  Duke  of  Lunenburg,  who  were  with 
Sweden  guarantors  of  the  treaty,  to  enforce  its  provisions; 
and  a  joint  protest  was  sent  to  the  King  of  Denmark,  who 
was  informed  that  if  he  invaded  Holstein  they  should  con- 
sider it  a  breach  of  the  Treaty  of  Altena  and  treat  him  as 
a  common  enemy.  Frederick  replied  by  sending  some 
troops  into  the  duchy. 

"No  active  operations  took  place  until  the  beginning  of 
this  year.  Up  to  that  time  Sweden  had  not  doubted  the 
friendship  of  the  King  of  Poland,  and  Charles  at  first  could 
hardly  believe  the  reports  he  received  from  the  governor 
of  Livonia,  that  the  Saxon  troops  were  approaching  the 
frontier. 

"  A  few  days  later,  however,  came  the  news  that  they  were 
advancing  against  Riga.  The  governor  prepared  for  defence 
and  hastily  mounted  cannon  on  the  walls.  His  powers  of 
resistance,  however,  were  lessened  by  the  fact  that  the  river 
Duna  was  frozen  over.  Fleming,  who  commanded  the  Saxon 
troops,  arrived  before  the  town  early  in  February  with  four 
thousand  men.  The  governor  had  set  fire  to  the  suburbs  on 
the  previous  day;  and  Fleming  was  surprised  to  find  that 
instead  of  taking  it  by  surprise,  as  he  had  hoped,  the  place 
was  in  a  position  to  offer  a  stout  resistance.  However,  he 
attacked  the  fort  of  Cobrun,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  and  carried  it  by  assault. 

"  The  news  was  brought  to  young  Charles  XH.  when  he 


78  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

was  out  hunting,  a  sport  of  which  he  is  passionately  fond. 
By  all  accounts  he  is  an  extraordinary  young  fellow.  He  is 
not  content  with  hunting  bears  and  shooting  them,  but  he 
and  his  followers  engage  them  armed  only  with  forked 
sticks.  With  these  they  attack  the  bears,  pushing  and 
hustling  the  great  creatures  with  the  forks  of  their  sticks 
until  they  are  completely  exhausted,  when  they  are  bound 
and  sent  away.  In  this  hunt  Charles  took  fourteen  alive, 
one  of  which  nearly  killed  him  before  it  was  captured.  He 
did  not  break  up  the  hunting  party,  but  continued  his  sport 
to  the  end,  sending  off,  however,  orders  for  the  concentra- 
tion of  all  the  troops  in  Livonia  and  Finland  to  act  against 
the  Saxons. 

"  As  soon  as  the  King  of  Denmark  heard  of  the  siege 
of  Riga  he  ordered  the  Duke  of  Wurtemberg-Neustadt, 
his  commander-in-chief,  to  enter  Holstein  with  his  army, 
sixteen  thousand  strong.  All  of  that  country  was  at  once 
overrun,  the  ducal  domains  seized,  and  great  contributions 
exacted  from  Schleswig  and  Holstein.  Fleming  and  the 
Saxons,  after  one  severe  repulse,  forced  the  garrison  of  the 
fort  of  Dunamund,  commanding  the  mouth  of  the  Duna,  to 
surrender.  Tonningen  is  the  only  fortress  that  now  holds 
out  in  Holstein.  So  you  see,  lads,  there  is  every  chance 
of  there  being  brisk  fighting,  and  I  warrant  the  young  King 
of  Sweden  will  not  be  backward  in  the  fray.  A  man  who 
is  fond  of  engaging  with  bears,  armed  with  nothing  but  a 
forked  stick,  is  not  likely  to  hang  back  in  the  day  of  battle. 
But  at  present  we  will  say  no  more  on  the  matter.  Now 
that  we  have  got  beyond  the  shelter  of  the  island,  the  waves 
are  getting  up,  and  the  vessel  is  beginning  to  toss  and  roll. 
I  see  that  Sir  Marmaduke  has  retired  to  his  cabin.  I  mean 
to  remain  here  as  long  as  I  can,  and  I  should  advise  you 
both  to  do  the  same.  I  have  always  heard  that  it  is  better 
to  fight  with  this  sickness  of  the  sea  as  long  as  possible,  and 
that  it  is  easier  to  do  so  in  fresh  air  than  in  a  close  cabin." 


IN   SWEDEN  79 

The  lads  quite  agreed  with  this  opinion,  but  were,  in 
spite  of  their  efforts,  presently  prostrate.  They  remained 
on  deck  for  some  hours  and  then  crawled  to  their  cabin, 
where  they  remained  for  the  next  three  days,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  they  came  on  deck  again,  feeling  better,  but  as 
weak  as  if  they  had  suffered  from  a  long  illness.  Mr. 
Jervoise  had  been  in  frequently  to  see  them,  having  escaped 
the  malady,  from  which,  as  he  told  them,  Sir  Marmaduke 
was  suffering  to  the  full  as  severely  as  they  were. 

"So  you  have  found  your  feet  again,"  the  captain  said, 
when  they  appeared  on  deck.     "You  will  be  all  right  now." 

"We  feel  much  better,"  Harry  said,  "now  that  the  storm 
is  over." 

"Storm! — what  storm?  The  weather  has  been  splendid. 
We  cannot  wish  for  anything  better.  It  has  been  just  as 
you  see  it  now — a  bright  sun,  and  just  enough  wind  for  her 
to  carry  whole  sail." 

The  lads  both  looked  astonished.  "Then  why  should  we 
roll  and  toss  about  so  much?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  Roll  and  toss !  Nonsense,  lad !  There  has  been  a 
little  movement,  of  course,  as  there  always  must  be  when 
there  is  a  brisk  wind;  but  as  for  rolling  and  tossing,  you 
must  wait  till  you  see  a  storm,  then  you  will  begin  to  have 
an  idea  of  what  the  sea  is." 

The  boys  both  felt  rather  crest-fallen,  for  they  had  flat- 
tered themselves  that  their  sufferings  were  caused  by  some- 
thing quite  out  of  the  ordinary  way,  and  it  was  mortifying 
to  know  that  the  weather  had  been  really  fine,  and  there  had 
been  nothing  even  approaching  a  storm.  The  rest  of  the 
voyage  was  a  pleasant  one.  They  found  they  had  regained 
their  appetites  and  were  able  to  enjoy  their  meals;  still  they 
were  not  sorry  when  they  saw  the  coast  of  Sweden,  and  a 
few  hours  later  entered  the  port  of  Gottenburg,  where  Sir 
Marmaduke  for  the  first  time  came  on  deck,  looking  a  mere 
shadow  of  his  former  jovial  self. 


80  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Well,  lads,"  he  said,  "I  was  glad  to  hear  that  you  got 
through  this  business  quicker  than  I  did.  Here  we  are  in 
Sweden,  and  here  I  at  least  am  likely  to  stay,  unless  I  can 
pass  by  land  through  Holland,  France,  and  across  from 
Calais,  for  never  again  will  I  venture  upon  a  long  voyage. 
I  have  been  feeling  very  ungrateful,  for  over  and  over  again 
I  wished  that  you  had  not  rescued  me,  as  death  on  Tower 
Hill  would  have  been  nothing  to  the  agonies  that  I  have 
been  enduring! " 

As  soon  as  the  vessel  was  warped  alongside  the  quay  they 
landed  and  put  up  at  an  hotel.  Sir  Marmaduke  insisting  that 
the  ground  was  as  bad  as  the  sea,  as  it  kept  on  rising  and 
falling  beneath  his  feet.  Mr.  Jervoise  agreed  to  return  on 
board  the  following  day  to  fetch  the  luggage,  which  would 
by  that  time  have  been  got  up  from  the  hold. 

At  the  hotel  they  met  several  persons  able  to  speak  Eng- 
lish, and  from  them  learnt  how  matters  had  been  going  on 
.since  they  had  last  heard.  The  town  and  fortress  of 
Tonningen  had  fallen  after  a  vigorous  defence;  it  had  been 
bombarded  for  eight  days,  and  had  repulsed  one  assault, 
but  had  been  captured  at  the  second  attack.  England  and 
Holland  had  agreed  to  furnish  fleets,  and  an  army  of  twelve 
thousand  Swedes  were  in  readiness  to  march  at  once,  while 
other  armies  were  being  formed.  The  king  had  the  week 
before  reviewed  the  army  gathered  at  Malmoe,  and  had  on 
the  previous  day  arrived  at  Gottenburg,  accompanied  by 
the  Duke  of  Holstein. 

Mr.  Jervoise  went  the  same  afternoon  to  find  out  some 
of  his  friends  who  resided  at  Gottenburg.  He  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  find  one  of  them,  who  was  able  to  inform 
him  that  his  wife's  cousin  was  now  a  major  in  one  of  the 
newly-raised  regiments  stationed  at  C-ottenburg.  He  found 
him  without  difificulty.  Major  Jamieson  was  delighted  at 
the  coming  of  his  former  friend. 

"  You  are  the  last  person  I  expected  to  see  here,  Jervoise. 


IN   SWEDEN  81 

It  is  true  that  when  we  met  last  you  said  that  if  matters 
went  wrong  in  England  you  should  come  out  here  instead 
of  taking  refuge  in  France;  but  as  everything  is  quiet,  I 
had  little  hope  of  seeing  you  again  until  I  paid  another 
visit  to  Scotland,  of  which  at  present  there  is  but  little 
prospect.  Have  you  grown  tired  of  doing  nothing,  and  is 
it  a  desire  to  see  something  of  a  stirring  life  that  has 
brought  you  over  here?  " 

Mr.  Jervoise  related  shortly  the  events  by  which  he  had 
been  driven  into  exile,  and  expressed  his  desire  to  serve  in 
the  army  of  Sweden,  and  that  his  son  and  young  Carstairs 
should  also  enter  the  army.  "They  are  but  sixteen  yet," 
he  said,  "but  are  stout,  active  fellows,  and  could  hold 
their  own  in  a  day's  march  or  in  a  stout  fight  with  many 
men.  Of  course,  if  I  could  obtain  commissions  for  them 
all  the  better,  but  if  not  they  are  ready  to  enlist  in  the 
ranks.     Roughing  it  will  do  them  no  harm." 

"Their  age  is  no  drawback,"  Major  Jamieson  said. 
"There  are  many  no  older  both  in  the  ranks  and  as  officers. 
Men  in  Sweden  of  all  ages  and  of  all  ranks  are  joining,  for 
this  unprovoked  attack  on  the  part  of  Poland  has  raised 
the  national  spirit  to  boiling  heat.  The  chief  difficulty 
is  their  and  your  ignorance  of  the  language.  Were  it  not 
for  that  I  could  obtain  from  the  minister  of  war  commis- 
sions for  you  at  once."  He  sat  thinking  for  some  minutes 
in  silence.  "I  think  I  see  how  it  can  be  managed,  Jer- 
voise. I  have  some  twenty  or  thirty  Scotchmen  in  my 
regiment,  and  I  know  a  colonel  who  has  as  many  in  his, 
and  these  I  could  manage  to  get  an  exchange  for  an  equal 
number  of  my  Swedes.  Ships  are  coming  daily  from  Scot- 
land, and  most  of  them  bring  young  fellows  who  have  come 
out  to  join  the  army. 

"  You  know  how  the  Scots  fought  under  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus,  and  there  is  scarce  a  glen  in  Scotland  where  there 
are  not  traditions  of  fathers  or  grandfathers  who  fought 


82  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

in  Hepburn's  Green  Brigade.  Therefore,  it  is  natural 
that,  seeing  there  is  no  chance  of  military  service  at  home, 
there  should  be  many  young  fellows  coming  out  to  join. 
I  can  go  across  this  evening  to  the  minister  of  war,  who 
is  a  personal  friend  of  mine,  and  get  him  to  give  you  per- 
mission to  raise  a  company  of  Scotchmen  for  service.  I 
shall,  of  course,  point  out  to  him  that  you  will  enlist  them 
here.  I  shall  show  him  the  advantage  of  these  men  being 
gathered  together,  as  their  ignorance  of  the  language  makes 
them  for  some  time  useless  as  soldiers  if  enrolled  in  a 
Swedish  regiment.  I  shall  mention  that  I  have  twenty  in 
my  own  corps  who  are  at  present  positively  useless,  and 
in  fact  a  source  of  great  trouble,  owing  to  their  under- 
standing nothing  that  is  said  to  them,  and  shall  propose 
that  they  be  at  once  handed  over  to  you.  As  to  the  ex- 
change, we  can  manage  that  quietly  between  ourselves. 
You  would  have  no  difificulty  with  fresh-landed  men,  as  these 
will  naturally  be  delighted  at  joining  a  company  of  their 
own  countrymen." 

"Thank  you  very  heartily,  Jamieson,  this  altogether 
exceeds  my  hopes,  but  I  fear  that  I  know  nothing  of  drill- 
ing them." 

"  Two  of  my  men  are  sergeants,  and  having  been  in  the 
army  for  some  years,  speak  Swedish  well.  They  will  do 
the  drilling  at  first,  the  manoeuvres  are  not  complicated, 
and  for  a  pound  or  two  they  will  be  glad  to  teach  you  all 
the  orders  necessary.  I  don't  know  how  you  are  situated 
as  to  money,  but  I  can  assure  you  my  purse  is  at  your 
service." 

"Thank  you;  I  am,  in  that  respect,  excellently  well  pro- 
vided, as  is  my  friend  Sir  Marmaduke.  We  have  both 
made  provision  for  unexpected  contingencies." 

"  Then  if  you  will  call  to-morrow  after  breakfast  I  shall 
probably  have  your  commission  ready.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  you  will  have  the  appointment  of  your  own  officers. 


IN   SWEDEN  83 

and  will  only  have  to  send  in  their  names.  Each  company 
is  from  a  hundred  and  forty  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  strong, 
and  has  a  captain,  two  lieutenants,  and  two  ensigns." 

Mr.  Jer\'oise's  news  was,  on  his  return  to  the  inn,  re- 
ceived with  delight  by  the  two  lads;  and  Sir  Marmaduke 
said,  "  I  wish  I  could  shake  off  twenty  of  my  years,  Jer- 
voise,  and  join  also.  Well,  well,  I  daresay  I  shall  get  on 
comfortably  enough.  I  know  there  are  a  good  many  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  Jacobites  settled  in  the  town  or  neighbour- 
hood, and  I  shall  not  be  long  before  I  meet  someone  I 
know.  As  the  matter  seems  settled,  I  should  advise  you 
lads  to  go  down  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  to  the 
wharves,  there  is  no  saying  when  ships  may  come  in; 
moreover,  it  is  likely  enough  that  you  may  light  upon 
young  fellows  who  have  landed  within  the  last  few  weeks, 
and  who  have  been  kept  so  far,  by  their  ignorance  of  the 
language,  from  enlisting." 

"That  is  a  very  good  idea,"  Mr.  Jervoise  said;  "they 
will  be  delighted  to  hear  a  friendly  voice,  and  be  only  too 
glad  to  enlist  in  a  Scottish  company.  You  can  say  that 
each  man  will  have  a  free  outfit  given  him." 

Accordingly,  the  next  morning  early  the  two  lads  went 
down  to  the  wharf.  Presently  they  saw  three  young  fel- 
lows, who  were  evidently  Scotch  by  their  dress  and  caps, 
talking  together;  they  strolled  up  near  enough  to  catch 
what  they  were  saying. 

"It  is  hard,"  one  said,  "that  now  we  are  here  we  can 
make  no  one  understand  us,  and  it  seems  to  me  we  had 
far  better  have  stayed  at  home." 

"  We  shall  find  some  one  who  speaks  our  language  pres- 
ently, Jock,"  another  said  more  cheerfully.  "The  old  man 
where  we  lodged  last  night,  said  in  his  broken  tongue,  that 
we  had  but  to  go  over  to  Malmoe,  or  some  such  place  as 
that,  where  there  is  a  big  camp,  and  walk  up  to  an  officer 
and  say  we  wish  to  enlist." 


84  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Oh,  that  is  all  very  well,"  the  other  grumbled;  "but  if 
he  did  not  understand  us,  we  should  be  no  better  off  than 
before." 

"Are  you  wanting  to  enlist?"  Harry  said,  going  up  to 
them. 

The  men  gave  an  exclamation  of  pleasure  at  being  ad- 
dressed in  their  own  tongue. 

"That  we  do,  sir;  if  you  can  put  us  in  the  way  we  shall 
be  grateful." 

"That  I  can  do  easily,"  Harry  said.  " My  father  is  rais- 
ing a  company  of  Scotch  and  Englishmen  for  the  regiment 
commanded  by  Colonel  Jamieson.  This  will  be  far  better 
than  joining  a  Swedish  company,  where  no  one  will  under- 
stand your  language,  and  you  will  not  be  able  to  make  out 
the  orders  given.  My  father  will  give  each  man  who 
joins  a  free  outfit." 

"That  is  the  very  thing  for  us,  sir.  We  expected  to  find 
Scotch  regiments  here,  as  there  were  in  the  old  times,  and 
we  had  hoped  to  join  them;  but  whether  it  is  a  company 
or  regiment  it  makes  but  little  difference,  so  that  we  are 
with  those  who  speak  our  tongue." 

"Very  well,  then;  if  you  come  to  the  Lion  Inn  at  nine 
o'clock,  you  will  see  my  father  there.  If  you  know  of  any 
others  in  the  same  mind  as  yourselves,  and  willing  to  join, 
bring  them  with  you." 

"  There  are  ten  or  twelve  others  who  came  over  in  the 
ship  with  us  two  days  since,  and  I  have  no  doubt  they  will 
be  fine  and  glad  to  join." 

"Well,  see  if  you  can  hunt  them  up,  and  bring  them 
with  you." 

On  returning  to  the  inn,  they  found  that  Mr.  Jervoise  had 
already  received  his  commission  as  captain,  and  by  ten 
o'clock  fifteen  young  Scotchmen  had  been  sworn  in.  All 
of  them  had  brought  broadswords  and  dirks,  and  Captain 
Jervoise  at  once  set  to  work  buying  at  various  shops  iron 


IN  SWEDEN  g5 

head-pieces,  muskets,  and  other  accoutrements.  During 
the  next  three  days  ten  other  English  and  Scotchmen  had 
joined,  and  then  a  ship  came  in  from  which  they  gathered 
another  four-and-twenty  recruits.  Arms  had  already  been 
purchased  for  them,  and  on  the  following  day  Captain 
Jervoise  marched  off  to  Malmoe  with  his  forty-nine  recruits. 
Harry  accompanied  them,  Charlie  being  left  behind  with 
his  father  to  gather  another  fifty  men  as  the  ships  arrived. 
A  week  later  this  number  was  obtained,  and  Charlie 
started  with  them  for  the  camp.  Sir  Alarmaduke  accom- 
panying them  on  horseback,  in  order  to  aid  Charlie  in 
maintaining  order  among  his  recruits.  He  had  already 
fixed  upon  a  small  house  just  outside  the  town,  and  having 
met  two  or  three  old  friends  who  had  been  obliged  to  leave 
England  at  William's  accession,  he  already  began  to  feel 
at  home. 

"  Don't  you  fidget  about  me,  Charlie, "  he  said.  "  Ferrers 
tells  me  that  there  are  at  least  a  score  of  Jacobites  here,  and 
that  they  form  quite  a  society  among  themselves.  Living 
is  very  cheap,  and  he  will  introduce  me  to  a  man  of  busi- 
ness, who  will  see  that  my  money  is  well  invested." 


CHAPTER  V 

NARVA 

FOR  the  next  fortnight  drilling  went  on  from  morning  till 
night,  the  officers  receiving  instructions  privately  from 
the  sergeants,  and  further  learning  the  words  of  command 
by  standing  by  while  the  men  were  being  drilled.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  both  officers  and  men  were  sufficiently 
instructed  to  carry  out  the  simple  movements  which  were 
alone  in  use  in  those  days.  It  was  not,  however,  until  two 
months  later  that  they  were  called  upon  to  act.  The  Eng- 
lish and  Dutch  fleets  had  arrived,  and  effected  a  junction 
with  that  of  Sweden,  and  the  Danish  fleet  had  shut  them- 
selves up  in  the  port  of  Copenhagen,  which  was  closely 
blockaded.  A  large  army  had  crossed  to  Zeeland  and 
repulsed  the  Danes,  who  had  endeavoured  to  prevent  their 
landing,  and  had  then  marched  up  to  within  sight  of  the 
walls  of  Copenhagen,  which  they  were  preparing  to  besiege, 
when  the  King  of  Denmark,  alarmed  at  this  unexpected 
result  of  his  aggression  on  Holstein,  conceded  every  point 
demanded,  and  peace  was  signed. 

The  negotiations  were  carried  on  in  Holland,  and  the 
Swedes  were  extremely  angry  when  they  found  that  they 
were  baulked  of  their  expected  vengeance  on  their  trouble- 
some neighbours.  The  peace,  however,  left  Charles  XH. 
at  liberty  to  turn  his  attention  to  his  other  foes,  and  to  hurry 

86 


NARVA  87 

to  the  assistance  of  Riga,  which  was  beleaguered  by  the 
Saxons  and  Poles,  and  of  Narva,  against  which  city  the 
Russians  had  made  several  unsuccessful  assaults.  Without 
losing  an  hour  the  king  crossed  to  Malmoe.  The  troops 
there  were  ordered  to  embark  immediately  in  the  vessels  in 
the  harbour.  They  then  sailed  to  Revel,  where  the  Swedish 
commander.  Welling,  had  retired  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  Riga,  his  force  being  too  small  to  meet  the  enemy  in 
the  open  field.  No  sooner  had  the  troops  landed  than  the 
king  reviewed  them,  and  General  Welling  was  ordered  at 
once  to  march  so  as  to  place  himself  between  the  enemy 
and  Wesenberg,  where  a  large  amount  of  provisions  and 
stores  for  the  use  of  the  army  had  been  collected. 

The  t\vo  lieutenants  in  the  company  of  Captain  Jervoise 
were  young  Scotchmen  of  good  family,  who  had  three 
months  before  come  over  and  obtained  commissions,  and 
both  had  at  the  colonel's  request  been  transferred  to  his 
regiment  and  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenants.  Cap- 
tain Jervoise  and  his  four  officers  messed  together,  and  were 
a  very  cheerful  party;  indeed  their  commander,  to  the  sur- 
prise both  of  his  son  and  Charlie,  had  quite  shaken  off  his 
quiet  and  somewhat  gloomy  manner,  and  seemed  to  have 
become  quite  another  man,  in  the  active  and  bracing  life 
in  which  he  was  now  embarked.  Cunningham  and  Forbes 
were  both  active  young  men,  full  of  life  and  energy,  while 
the  boys  thoroughly  enjoyed  roughing  it,  and  the  excite- 
ment and  animation  of  their  daily  work. 

Sometimes  they  slept  in  the  open  air,  sometimes  on  the 
floor  of  a  cottage.  Their  meals  were  rough  but  plentiful. 
The  king's  orders  against  plundering  were  very  severe,  and 
even  when  in  Denmark,  the  country  people,  having  nothing 
to  complain  of,  had  brought  in  supplies  regularly.  Here 
in  Linovia  they  were  in  Swedish  dominions,  but  there  was 
little  to  be  purchased,  for  the  peasantry  had  been  brought 
to  ruin  by  the  foraging  parties  of  the  Russians  and  Poles. 


88  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

There  was  some  disappointment  that  the  enemy  had  fallen 
back  at  the  approach  of  Welling' s  force,  but  all  felt  sure 
that  it  would  not  be  long  before  they  met  them,  for  the 
king  would  assuredly  lose  no  time  in  advancing  against 
them  as  soon  as  his  army  could  be  brought  over.  They 
were  not,  however,  to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  the  main  force, 
although  the  cavalry  only  took  part  in  the  first  affair. 
General  Welling  heard  that  a  force  of  three  thousand  Cir- 
cassians had  taken  up  their  quarters  in  a  village  some 
fifteen  miles  away,  and  sent  six  hundred  horse  under  Majors 
Patkul  and  Tisenbausen  to  surprise  them;  they  were  at  first 
successful,  and,  attacking  the  Circassians,  set  fire  to  the 
village,  and  were  engaged  in  slaughtering  the  defenders, 
when  twenty-one  squadrons  of  Russian  cavalry  came  up  and 
fell  upon  them,  attacking  them  on  all  sides,  and  posting 
themselves  so  as  to  cut  off  their  retreat. 

The  Swedes  however  gathered  in  a  body,  and  charged 
the  Russians  so  furiously  that  they  cut  a  way  through  their 
ranks,  losing,  however,  many  of  their  men,  while  Major 
Patkul  and  another  officer  were  made  prisoners. 

The  king  was  at  Revel  when  this  engagement  took  place, 
and  although  but  few  of  the  troops  had  arrived,  he  was  too 
impatient  for  action  to  wait  until  the  coming  of  the  fleet. 
He  therefore  marched  to  Wesenberg  with  his  body-guard 
and  a  few  troops  from  Revel.  He  at  once  despatched  a 
thousand  men  to  cover  the  frontier,  and  issued  orders  for 
the  rest  of  the  troops  to  leave  the  whole  of  their  baggage 
behind  them,  to  take  three  days'  provision  in  their  haver- 
sacks, and  to  prepare  to  march  the  next  morning. 

Major  Jamieson  came  into  the  cottage  occupied  by  Cap- 
tain Jervoise  and  his  officers  late  in  the  evening.  They 
had  a  blazing  fire,  for  it  was  now  the  middle  of  November 
and  the  nights  were  very  sharp. 

"Well,  Jervoise,  what  do  you  think  of  the  orders?"  he 
asked,  as  he  seated  himself  on  a  log  that  had  been  brought 
in  for  the  fire. 


NARVA  39 

"  I  have  not  thought  much  about  them,  except  that  we  are 
going  to  do  a  long  and  quick  march  somewhere." 

"And  where  is  that  somewhere,  do  you  think?" 

"That  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea." 

"You  would  not  say  that  it  was  to  Narvd?  " 

"  I  certainly  should  not,  considering  that  we  have  but  five 
thousand  infantry  and  three  thousand  cavalry,  and  of  these 
a  large  number  have  been  so  weakened  by  fever  as  to 
be  unfit  for  fighting;  while  at  Narva  report  says  there 
are  eighty  thousand  Russians  in  a  strongly  intrenched 
camp." 

"Well,  that  is  where  we  are  going,  Jervoise,  nevertheless. 
At  least  that  is  what  the  colonel  has  told  me." 

"He  must  have  been  surely  jesting,  major.  We  may  be 
going  to  push  forward  in  that  direction  and  occupy  some 
strong  position  until  the  army  comes  up,  but  it  would  be 
the  height  of  madness  to  attack  an  enemy  in  a  strong 
position  and  just  tenfold  our  force." 

"Well,  we  shall  see,"  Jamieson  said  coolly.  "It  is  cer- 
tain that  Narva  cannot  hold  out  much  longer,  and  I  know 
that  the  king  has  set  his  heart  on  relieving  it;  but  it  does 
seem  somewhat  too  dangerous  an  enterprise  to  attack  the 
Russians.  At  any  rate  that  is  the  direction  in  which  we 
are  going  to-morrow.  It  is  a  good  seventy  miles  distant, 
and  as  they  say  that  the  whole  country  has  been  devastated 
and  the  villagers  have  all  fled,  it  is  evident  that  when  the 
three  days'  bread  and  meat  we  carry  are  exhausted  we  shall 
have  to  get  some  food  out  of  the  Russian  camp  if  nowhere 
else." 

Captain  Jervoise  laughed,  as  did  the  others.  "  We  can 
live  for  a  short  time  on  the  horses,  Jamieson,  if  we  are  hard 
pushed  for  it,  though  most  of  them  are  little  beyond  skin 
and  bone." 

"That  is  true,  the  cavalry  are  certainly  scarcely  fit  for 
service.     Welling' s  troops  have  had  a  very  hard  time  of  it, 


90  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

and  we  may  thank  our  stars,  though  we  did  not  think  so  at 
the  time,  that  we  were  kept  nearly  three  months  at  Malmoe 
instead  of  being  here  with  Welling." 

"But  do  you  seriously  think,  major,  that  the  king  means 
to  attack  the  Russians?  "  Cunningham  asked. 

"  My  own  idea  is  that  he  does,  Cunningham.  I  cannot 
see  what  else  there  is  for  us  to  do.  At  any  rate,  if  he  does, 
you  may  be  sure  that  we  shall  make  a  tough  fight  for  it. 
The  cavalry  showed  the  other  day  that  they  can  stand  up 
against  many  times  their  number  of  the  Russians,  and  if 
they  can  do  it,  I  fancy  we  can.  There  is  one  thing,  the 
very  audacity  of  such  an  attempt  is  in  its  favour." 

"  Well,  we  will  all  do  our  best,  you  may  be  sure ;  but 
since  Thermopylae,  I  doubt  if  men  have  fought  against  longer 

odds." 

The  next  morning  the  men  fell  in,  Captain  Jervoise,  who, 
like  all  of  his  rank,  was  mounted,  took  his  place  at  the 
head  of  his  company,  and  the  little  army  marched  away 
from  Wesenberg. 

It  was  a  dreary  march  to  Purts,  but  the  sight  of  the 
ruined  villages  and  devastated  fields  aroused  a  feeling  of 
indignation  and  fury  among  the  troops,  and  a  fierce  long- 
ing to  attack  men  who  had  so  ruthlessly  spread  ruin  through 
a  fertile  country.  Orders  were  issued  that  evening  that 
the  men  were  to  husband  their  provisions  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  order  was  more  stirctly  obeyed  than  such 
orders  usually  are,  for  the  men  saw  for  themselves  that  there 
was  no  possibility  of  obtaining  fresh  supplies  in  the  wasted 
country,  and  were  well  aware  that  there  existed  no  train  of 
waggons  and  horses  capable  of  bringing  up  stores  from 
Wesenberg.  There  were  a  few  aged  men  and  women 
remaining  at  Purts,  and  from  these  they  learned  that  their 
next  day's  march  would  take  them  to  a  very  difficult  pass, 
which  was  held  by  six  hundred  of  the  Russian  cavalry, 
together  with  a  force  of  infantry  and  some  guns. 


NARVA  91 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  king  to  encamp  that  evening 
near  the  pass,  and  when  within  three  or  four  miles  of  it, 
General  Meidel,  who  had  with  him  the  quarter-master  of 
the  army  and  four  hundred  cavalry,  rode  on  ahead  to  choose 
a  site  for  the  camp.  He  presently  saw  a  large  body  of 
Russian  foragers  in  front  of  him,  and  sent  back  to  the  king 
for  permission  to  attack  them.  Charles  ordered  the  army 
to  continue  its  march,  and  hurrying  for^vard  with  some  of 
his  officers  joined  General  Meidel  and  charged  the  foragers, 
killing  many,  taking  others  prisoners,  and  putting  the  rest 
to  flight.  He  followed  close  upon  their  heels,  and  rode 
right  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  pass  in  spite  of  the  heavy  fire 
of  artillery  and  musketry  opened  by  the  Russians.  He  at 
once  determined  to  take  advantage  of  the  alarm  produced 
by  the  defeat  of  the  Russian  cavalry,  and  although  darkness 
was  now  drawing  on,  brought  up  some  of  his  infantry  and 
artillery  and  attacked  with  such  vigour  that  the  Russians 
fled  after  offering  a  very  feeble  resistance. 

A  battalion  of  foot  were  ordered  to  occupy  the  pass, 
while  the  rest  of  the  army  piled  their  arms  and  lay  down 
where  they  stood.  In  the  morning  they  were  astonished  at 
the  strength  of  the  position  that  had  been  gained  so  easily. 
The  defile  was  deep  and  narrow,  a  rapid  stream  ran  through 
it,  and  the  ground  was  soft  and  marshy.  A  few  determined 
men  should  have  been  able  to  bar  the  advance  of  an  army. 
The  troops  were  in  high  spirits  at  the  result  of  this  their 
first  action  against  the  enemy,  and  were  the  more  pleased 
that  they  found  in  the  Russian  camp  sufficient  provisions 
to  replace  those  they  had  used;  after  a  hearty  meal  they 
again  advanced  at  a  brisk  march.  The  defile  was  captured 
on  the  evening  of  the  17th  November,  and  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  20th  the  army  reached  Lagena,  a  league 
and  a  half  from  Narva,  and  ordering  the  troops  to  fol- 
low, the  king  rode  forward  to  reconnoitre  the  Russian 
position. 


92  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  troops  were  weary  with  their  long  marches,  and  many 
of  those  who  had  but  recently  recovered  from  fever  were 
scarce  able  to  drag  themselves  along,  while  great  numbers 
were  unfit  to  take  part  in  a  battle  until  after  two  or  three 
days  of  rest. 

The  officers  of  the  Malmoe  Regiment,  for  it  had  taken 
its  name  from  the  camp  where  it  had  been  formed,  were 
gathered  in  a  group  at  its  head  discussing  the  situation. 
Most  of  the  officers  were  of  opinion  that  to  attack  at  once 
with  men  and  horses  worn  out  with  fatigue  was  to  ensure 
destruction,  but  there  were  others  who  thought  that  in  face 
of  so  great  an  army  as  that  gathered  in  front  of  them,  the 
only  hope  was  in  an  immediate  attack.  Major  Jamieson 
wa«  one  of  these. 

"The  king  is  right,"  he  said.  "If  the  Russian  army 
have  time  to  form  and  to  advance  against  us  in  order  of 
battle,  we  must  be  annihilated.  At  present  their  camp  is 
an  extensive  one,  for,  as  I  hear,  it  extends  in  a  great  semi- 
circle four  or  five  miles  long,  with  the  ends  resting  on  the 
river.  They  cannot  believe  that  we  intend  to  attack  them, 
and  if  we  go  straight  at  them  we  may  possibly  gain  a  foot- 
ing in  their  intrenchments  before  the  whole  army  can 
gather  to  aid  those  at  the  point  of  attack.  It  will  be  almost 
a  surprise,  and  I  think  the  king  is  right  to  attempt  it,  for  it 
is  only  by  a  quick  and  sudden  stroke  that  we  can  gain  a 
success  over  so  great  an  army." 

The  halt  was  but  a  short  one,  and  as  soon  as  the  regi- 
ments had  arrived  at  the  positions  assigned  to  them  they 
advanced.  As  soon  as  they  appeared  on  a  rise  of  ground 
facing  the  intrenchments  the  enemy  opened  fire.  The  king 
had  already  reconnoitred  a  portion  of  their  position, 
exposing  himself  recklessly  to  their  shot,  and  as  soon  as 
the  troops  came  up  he  issued  orders  for  them  to  prepare 
to  attack  in  two  columns.  First,  however,  several  of  the 
regiments  were  ordered  to  fall  out  and  to  cut  down  bushes 


NARVA  93 

and  make  fascines,  to  enable  the  troops  to  cross  the  ditches. 
The  intrenchment  was  a  formidable  one,  being  provided 
with  parapets  armed  with  chevaux-de-frise  and  flanked  by 
strong  exterior  works,  while  several  batteries  had  been 
placed  to  sweep  the  ground  across  which  an  enemy  must 
advance. 

The  right  column  under  General  Welling  was  to  march 
to  a  point  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  great  semicircle, 
while  the  left  under  General  Rhenschild  was  to  assault  a 
point  about  half-way  between  the  centre  and  the  river, 
where  one  of  the  largest  and  most  powerful  of  the  enemy's 
batteries  was  placed.  The  king  himself  was  with  this  wing 
with  his  body-guard,  and  he  hoped  that  here  he  might  meet 
the  czar  commanding  in  person.  The  Russian  emperor  had, 
however,  left  the  camp  that  morning  to  fetch  up  forty  thou- 
sand men  who  were  advancing  from  Plescow,  and  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  had  been  assumed  by  the  Duke  of  Croy. 

The  Swedish  left  wing  had  with  it  a  battery  of  twenty- 
one  guns,  while  sixteen  guns  covered  the  attack  on  the  right. 
It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  two  guns  gave  the 
signal  for  the  advance. 

Hitherto  the  weather  had  been  fine,  but  it  had  become 
gradually  overcast,  and  just  as  the  signal  was  given  a  tre- 
mendous storm  of  snow  and  hail  began.  It  set  right  in 
the  face  of  the  Russians,  and  concealed  from  them  the 
movement  of  the  Swedes,  for  which,  indeed,  they  were 
wholly  unprepared,  believing  that  the  small  force  they  saw 
was  but  the  advance-guard  of  a  great  Swedish  army,  and 
that  no  attack  need  be  expected  until  the  main  body  arrived. 
The  consequence  was  the  Swedes  were  almost  at  the  edge 
of  the  ditch  before  they  were  perceived,  and  both  columns 
attacked  with  such  vigour  and  courage  that  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  they  had  gained  a  footing  in  the  intrenchments 
and  had  so  filled  up  the  ditch  with  the  fascines  that  the 
cavalry  were  able  to  follow  them. 


94  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  Russians  were  so  astounded  at  this  sudden  attack 
that  they  lost  heart  altogether.  The  Swedish  left,  as  soon 
as  it  entered  the  intrenchments,  swept  along  them,  the 
Russians  abandoning  their  guns  and  batteries  and  making 
for  their  bridge  across  the  river.  Unfortunately  for  them 
their  huts  were  built  close  behind  the  works,  and  in  rear 
was  another  intrenchment  designed  to  repel  assaults  from 
the  town,  and  the  terrified  crowd,  unable  to  make  their 
way  rapidly  along  over  ground  encumbered  by  their  huts, 
crossed  the  interior  intrenchments,  thinking  to  make  their 
way  faster  through  the  fields  to  the  bridge.  The  Swedish 
king,  however,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  body- 
guard, and,  followed  by  the  rest  of  his  horse,  charged 
right  upon  them,  cutting  down  great  numbers,  and  driving 
the  rest  before  them  towards  the  river,  while  the  infantry 
kept  up  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  fugitives  in  the  intrench- 
ments. 

The  panic  had  spread  quickly,  and  the  Russian  troops 
nearest  to  the  bridge  were  already  pouring  over  when  the 
mass  of  the  fugitives  arrived.  These  pressed  upon  the 
bridge  in  such  numbers  that  it  speedily  gave  way,  cutting 
off  the  retreat  of  their  comrades  behind.  Ignorant  of  the 
result  the  terrified  crowd  pushed  on,  pressing  those  in 
front  of  them  into  the  river,  and  the  number  of  drowned 
was  no  less  than  that  of  those  who  fell  beneath  the  bullets, 
pikes,  and  sabres  of  the  Swedes.  In  their  despair  the 
Russians,  rallied  by  some  of  their  generals,  now  attempted 
to  defend  themselves,  and  by  occupying  some  houses  and 
barracks,  and  barricading  the  passages  between  these  with 
overturned  waggons,  they  fought  bravely  and  repulsed  for 
some  time  every  effort  of  the  Swedes. 

Darkness  was  now  falling,  and  the  king  hastened  to  the 
spot  where  the  battle  was  fiercely  raging.  As  he  ran 
towards  it  he  fell  into  a  morass,  from  which  he  was  res- 
cued with  some  difficulty,  leaving  his  sword  and  one  boot 


STORMIXr,  THE  INTRENCHMENTS  AT  NARVA. 


NARVA  95 

behind  him.  However,  he  at  once  pushed  on  and  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  the  infantry  engaged  in  the  assault, 
but  even  his  presence  and  example  did  not  avail.  The 
Russians  maintained  their  position  with  desperate  courage, 
and  when  it  became  quite  dark  the  assault  ceased.  The 
right  column  had  met  with  equal  success;  it  had  penetrated 
the  intrenchments,  defeated  all  the  Russians  who  opposed 
it,  and  now  moved  to  assist  the  left  wing. 

The  king,  however,  seeing  that  the  Russian  defences 
could  not  be  carried  by  a  direct  assault  without  great  loss, 
gathered  the  army  in  the  space  between  the  town  and  the 
Russian  intrenchments,  and  placed  them  in  a  position  to 
repel  an  attack  should  the  Russians  take  the  offensive,  giv- 
ing orders  that  at  daylight  the  hill  on  which  the  enemy  had 
their  principal  battery  should  be  assaulted.  The  guns  here 
commanded  all  the  intrenchments,  and  the  capture  of 
that  position  would  render  it  impossible  for  the  Russians 
to  continue  their  defence,  or  for  the  now  separated  wings 
of  the  army  to  combine. 

The  officers  in  command  of  the  Russian  right  wing,  find- 
ing themselves  unable  to  cross  the  river  on  their  broken 
bridge,  and  surrounded  by  the  Swedes,  sent  in  to  surrender 
in  the  course  of  the  evening,  and  two  battalions  of  the 
Swedish  Guards  took  possession  of  the  post  that  had  been 
so  gallantly  defended. 

The  king  granted  them  permission  to  retire  with  their 
arms,  the  colours  and  standards  being  given  up,  and  the 
superior  officers  being  retained  as  prisoners  of  war.  The 
broken  bridge  was  repaired,  and  early  the  next  morning 
the  Russian  troops  passed  over.  Their  left  wing  was,  after 
the  surrender  of  their  right,  in  a  hopeless  position,  for  on 
that  side  no  bridge  had  been  thrown  over  the  river,  and 
their  retreat  was  wholly  cut  off.  On  learning  before  day- 
break that  the  right  wing  had  surrendered,  they  too  sent  in 
to  ask  for  terms.     The  king  granted  them  freedom  to  re- 


96  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

turn  to  their  country,  but  without  their  standards  or  arms. 
They  filed  off  before  him,  officers  and  soldiers  bareheaded, 
and  passed  over  the  bridge,  their  numbers  being  so  great 
that  all  had  not  crossed  until  next  morning. 

The  Russians  lost  over  18,000  men  killed  or  drowned,  a 
hundred  and  forty-five  cannon  and  twenty-eight  mortars, 
all  of  which  were  new,  besides  vast  quantities  of  military 
stores  and  provisions.  A  hundred  and  fifty-one  colours 
and  twenty  standards,  and  the  greater  proportion  of  their 
muskets,  together  with  the  military  chest,  the  Duke  of  Croy, 
their  commander-in-chief,  and  the  whole  of  their  generals, 
colonels,  majors,  and  captains,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Swedes  as  prisoners  of  war.  The  total  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded  of  the  Swedes  was  under  two  thousand,  the  chief 
loss  being  due  to  the  desperate  resistance  of  the  Russians 
after  the  battle  was  irretrievably  lost. 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  so  complete  and  surprising 
a  victory  between  armies  so  disproportionate  in  force  was 
ever  before  gained. 

The  king  had  exposed  himself  throughout  the  day 
most  recklessly,  and  was  everywhere  in  the  thick  of  the 
Russian  bullets,  and  yet  he  escaped  without  so  much  as  a 
scratch.  The  Malmoe  Regiment  had  been  with  the  left 
wing,  but  suffered  comparatively  little  loss,  as  they  were 
one  of  the  last  to  enter  the  intrenchments,  and  it  was 
only  when  darkness  was  closing  in  that  they  were  called  up 
to  take  a  part  in  the  attack  on  the  position  held  by  the 
Russians. 

"Never  was  the  saying  that  fortune  favours  the  brave 
more  signally  verified,  Jervoise,"  Major  Jamieson  said  as 
he  sat  down  to  a  rough  breakfast  with  the  officers  of  the 
Scottish  company  on  the  morning  after  the  Russian  sur- 
render. 

"That's  true  enough,  but  Russians  are  brave  too,  as  they 
showed  at  the  end  of  the  day.     I  fancy  you  have  a  Scotch 


NARVA  97 

proverb  to  the  effect  that  fou  folk  come  to  no  harm;  I  think 
that  is  more  applicable  in  the  present  case." 

The  major  laughed.  "The  fou  folk  relates  rather  to 
drunkenness  than  madness,  Jervoise.  But  of  course  it 
would  do  for  both;  I  own  that  the  whole  enterprise  did 
seem  to  me  to  be  absolute  madness,  but  the  result  has 
justified  it.  That  sudden  snowstorm  was  the  real  cause 
of  our  victory,  and  had  it  not  been  for  that  I  still  think  that 
we  could  not  have  succeeded.  The  Russian  cannon  cer- 
tainly continued  to  fire,  but  it  was  wholly  at  random,  and 
they  were  taken  by  surprise  when  we  suddenly  appeared  at 
the  side  of  the  ditch,  while  we  were  across  before  they 
could  gather  any  force  sufficient  to  defend  it.  After  that, 
panic  did  the  rest.  The  commander-in-chief  fell  early 
into  our  hands.  There  was  no  one  to  give  orders,  no 
one  to  rally  them,  and  I  expect  the  Russian  soldiers 
gave  us  credit  for  having  brought  on  that  storm,  to  cover 
our  assault,  by  the  aid  of  malign  spirits.  Well,  lads, 
and  how  did  you  feel  when  the  shots  were  whistling 
about?" 

"I  did  not  like  it  at  all,  major,"  Charlie  said.  "It 
seemed  such  a  strange  thing  marching  along  in  the  thick 
of  that  snowstorm,  hearing  the  rush  of  cannon-balls  over- 
head, and  the  boom  of  guns,  and  yet  be  unable  to  see 
anything  but  the  rear  files  of  the  company  in  front." 

"  It  was  an  uncanny  feeling,  Charlie.  I  felt  it  myself, 
and  was  very  grateful  that  we  were  hidden  from  the  enemy, 
who  of  course  were  blazing  away  in  the  direction  in  which 
they  had  last  seen  us.  We  only  lost  three  killed  and  twelve 
wounded  altogether,  and  I  think  those  were,  for  the  most 
part,  hit  by  random  shots.  Well,  if  this  is  the  way  the 
king  means  to  carry  on  war,  we  shall  have  enough  of  it 
before  we  are  done." 

The  sick  and  wounded  were  sent  into  the  town  the  first 
thing,  but  it  was  not  until  the  Russians  had  all  crossed  the 


98  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

river  that  the  king  himself  rode  triumphantly  into  the  place 
surrounded  by  his  staff,  amid  the  wild  enthusiasm  of  the 
inhabitants,  whom  his  victory  had  saved  from  ruin  and 
massacre.  The  town,  although  strongly  fortified,  was  not  a 
large  one,  and  its  houses  were  so  dilapidated  from  the 
effects  of  the  Russian  bombardment  that  but  few  of  the 
troops  could  be  accommodated  there;  the  rest  were  quar- 
tered in  the  Russian  huts.  On  the  26th  a  solemn  service  of 
thanksgiving  for  the  victory  was  celebrated,  with  a  salute 
from  all  the  cannon  of  the  town  and  camp,  and  by  salvos 
of  musketry  from  the  troops.  The  question  of  provisions 
was  the  most  important  now.  It  was  true  that  large  quan- 
tities had  been  captured  in  the  Russian  camp,  but  beyond 
a  magazine  of  corn,  abandoned  by  the  fugitives  at  Tama 
and  brought  in,  there  was  no  prospect  of  replenishing  the 
store  when  exhausted,  for  the  whole  country  for  a  great 
distance  round  had  been  completely  devastated  by  the 
Russians.  These  had  not  retreated  far,  having  been  rallied 
by  the  czar  at  Plescow,  and  quartered  in  the  towns  of  the 
frontier  of  Livonia,  whence  they  made  incursions  into  such 
districts  as  had  not  been  previously  wasted. 

"This  is  dull  work,"  Archie  Cunningham  said  one  day, 
"  the  sooner  we  are  busy  again  the  better.  There  is  noth- 
ing to  do,  and  very  little  to  eat;  the  cold  is  bitter  and  fuel 
scarce;  one  wants  something  to  warm  one's  blood." 

"You  are  not  likely  to  have  anything  of  that  kind  for 
some  months  to  come,"  Major  Jamieson  replied  dryly. 
"You  don't  suppose  we  are  going  to  have  a  battle  of  Narva 
once  a  week,  do  you?  No  doubt  there  will  be  a  few  skir- 
mishes and  outpost  encounters,  but  beyond  that  there  will 
be  little  doing  until  next  spring.  You  can  make  up  your 
mind  for  at  least  five  months  of  the  worst  side  of  a  soldier's 
life— dull  quarters  and  probably  bad  ones,  scanty  food, 
cold,  and  disease." 


NARVA  99 

"Not  a  very  bright  look-out,  major,"  Forbes  laughed. 
"  I  hope  it  won't  be  as  bad  as  that." 

"Then  I  advise  you  to  give  up  hoping  and  to  make  up 
your  mind  to  realities,  Forbes;  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
illness  in  the  camp  now,  and  there  will  be  more  and  more 
as  the  time  goes  on.  There  is  nothing  like  inaction  to  tell 
upon  the  health  of  troops.  However,  we  certainly  shall  not 
stay  here,  it  would  be  impossible  to  victual  the  army,  and  I 
expect  that  before  long  we  shall  march  away  and  take  up 
quarters  for  the  winter.  As  to  operations  on  a  great  scale, 
they  are  out  of  the  question.  After  the  thrashing  they  have 
had,  the  Russians  will  be  months  before  they  are  in  a  con- 
dition to  take  the  offensive  again;  while  we  are  equally 
unable  to  move,  because  in  the  first  place  we  are  not  strong 
enough  to  do  so,  and  in  the  second  we  have  no  baggage 
train  to  carry  provisions  with  us,  and  no  provisions  to  carry 
if  we  had  it." 

On  the  13th  of  December  the  king  quitted  Narva  with 
the  army,  and  on  the  19th  arrived  at  Lais,  an  old  castle  six 
miles  from  Derpt,  and  here  established  his  head-quarters. 
A  few  of  the  troops  were  stationed  in  villages,  but  the 
greater  part  in  rough  huts  in  the  neighbourhood  and  along 
the  frontier. 

It  was  not  long  before  Major  Jamieson's  predictions  were 
verified.  A  low  fever,  occasioned  by  the  fatiguing  marches 
and  the  hardships  they  had  endured,  added  to  the  misery 
from  the  cold  and  wet  that  penetrated  the  wretched  huts, 
spread  rapidly  through  the  army.  Many  died,  and  great 
numbers  were  absolutely  prostrated.  The  king  was  inde- 
fatigable in  his  efforts  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  troops. 
He  constantly  rode  about  from  camp  to  camp,  entering  the 
huts,  chatting  cheerfully  with  the  soldiers,  and  encouraging 
them  by  kind  words  and  assurances  that  when  the  spring 
came  they  would  soon  gain  strength  again. 


100  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

At  Narva  the  four  young  officers  had  all  purchased  horses. 
Most  of  the  Swedish  officers  were  mounted;  and  the  king 
encouraged  this,  as  on  occasion  he  could  thereby  collect  at 
once  a  body  of  mounted  men  ready  for  any  enterprise;  but 
their  own  colonel  preferred  that  on  the  march  the  lieutenants 
and  ensigns  should  be  on  foot  with  their  men,  in  order  to 
set  them  an  example  of  cheerful  endurance.  Those  who 
wished  it,  however,  were  permitted  to  have  horses,  which 
were  on  such  occasions  led  in  the  rear  of  the  regiment. 

Captain  Jervoise  had  approved  of  the  purchase  of  the 
horses,  which  were  got  very  cheaply,  as  great  numbers  had 
been  captured.  "  If  we  can  get  over  the  difficulty  of  the 
forage,"  he  said,  "you  will  find  them  very  useful  for  pre- 
serving your  health  during  the  winter.  A  ride  will  set  your 
blood  in  motion,  and  wherever  we  are  quartered  there  are 
sure  to  be  camps  within  riding  distance.  The  king 
approves  of  officers  taking  part  in  dashing  expeditions,  so 
you  may  be  able  to  take  a  share  in  affairs  that  will  break 
the  monotony  of  camp-life." 

They  found  great  benefit  from  being  able  to  ride  about. 
Forage  was  indeed  very  scarce.  They  had  no  means  of 
spending  their  pay  on  luxuries  of  any  kind,  their  only  out- 
lay being  in  the  purchase  of  black  bread,  and  an  occasional 
load  of  forage  from  the  peasants.  Their  regiment  was  with 
the  force  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Schlippenbach, 
which  was  not  very  far  from  Marienburg,  a  place  open  to 
the  incursions  of  the  Russians.  Baron  Spens  was  at  Signiz, 
and  Colonel  Alvedyhl  at  Rounenberg,  and  to  both  these 
places  they  occasionally  paid  a  visit.  In  order  to  keep 
the  company  in  health.  Captain  Jervoise  encouraged  the 
men  to  get  up  games,  in  which  the  four  young  officers  took 
part.  Sometimes  it  was  a  snowball  match  in  the  open;  at 
other  times  a  snow  fort  was  built,  garrisoned,  and  attacked. 
Occasionally  there  were  matches  at  hockey,  while  putting  the 


NARVA  101 

Stone,  throwing  the  caber,  running  and  wrestling  matches, 
were  all  tried  in  turn,  and  the  company  suffered  compara- 
tively little  from  the  illness  which  rendered  so  large  a 
proportion  of  the  Swedish  army  inefficient. 

Colonel  Schlippenbach  was  an  energetic  officer,  and  had 
several  times  ridden  past  when  the  men  were  engaged  in 
these  exercises.  He  expressed  to  Captain  Jervoise  his 
approval  of  the  manner  in  which  he  kept  his  men  in 
strength  and  vigour. 

"I  shall  not  forget  it,"  he  said  one  day,  "and  if  there  is 
service  to  be  done  I  see  that  I  can  depend  upon  your 
company  to  do  it." 

In  January  he  took  a  party  of  horse  and  reconnoitred 
along  the  River  Aa  to  obser\'e  the  motions  of  the  Saxons 
on  the  other  side,  and  hearing  that  a  party  of  them  had 
entered  Marienburg  he  determined  to  take  possession  of 
that  place,  as,  were  they  to  fortify  it,  they  would  be  able 
greatly  to  harass  the  Swedes.  Sending  word  to  the  king  of 
his  intention,  and  asking  for  an  approval  of  his  plan  of 
fortifying  the  town,  he  took  three  companies  of  infantry 
and  four  hundred  horse,  made  a  rapid  march  to  Marien- 
burg, and  occupied  it  without  opposition.  He  had  not 
forgotten  his  promise,  and  the  company  of  Captain  Jer- 
voise was  one  of  those  selected  for  the  work.  Its  officers 
were  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  a  change,  and  when  the 
party  started  Captain  Jervoise  was  proud  of  the  show  made 
by  his  men,  whose  active  and  vigorous  condition  con- 
trasted strongly  with  the  debility  and  feebleness  evident  so 
generally  among  the  Swedish  soldiers. 

As  soon  as  Marienburg  was  entered,  the  men  were  set 
to  work  to  raise  and  strengthen  the  rampart  and  to  erect 
bastions,  and  they  were  aided  a  few  days  later  by  a  rein- 
forcement of  two  hundred  infantry,  sent  by  the  king  with 
some  cannon  from  the  garrison  of  Derpt.     As  the  place 


102 


A   JACOBITE   EXILE 


was  surrounded  by  a  morass,  it  was  ere  long  put  into  a  posi- 
tion to  offer  a  formidable  defence  against  any  force  that 
the  Russians  or  Saxons  might  bring  against  it.  The  Swedes 
engaged  on  the  work  gained  strength  rapidly,  and  by  the 
time  the  fortifications  were  finished  they  had  completely 
shaken  off  the  effects  of  the  fever. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   PRISONER 


A   FORTNIGHT  after  the  fortifications  of  Marienburg 
were  completed.  Colonel  Schlippenbach  sent  off  Lieu- 
tenant-colonel Brandt  with  four  hundred  horse  to  capture 
a  magazine  at  Seffwegen,  to  which  the  Saxons  had  forced 
the  inhabitants  of  the  country  round  to  bring  m  their  corn, 
intending  later  to  convey  it  to  the  head-quarters  of  their 
army.     The   expedition  was   completely  successful.     The 
Saxon  guard  were  overpowered,   and  a  thousand  tons  of 
corn  were  brought  in  triumph  into  Marienburg.     Some  of 
it  was  sent  on  to  the  army,  abundance  being  retained  for 
the  use  of  the  town  and  garrison  in  case  of  siege.     It  was 
now  resolved  to  surprise  and  burn  Pitschur,  a  town  on  the 
frontier  from  which  the  enemy  constantly  made  incursions. 
It  was  held  by  a  strong  body  of  Russians. 

Baron  Spens  was  in  command  of  the  expedition.  He 
had  with  him  both  the  regiments  of  Horse-guards.  ^luch 
excitement  was  caused  in  Marienburg  by  the  issue  of  an 
order  that  the  cavalry  and  a  portion  of  the  infantry  were  to 
be  ready  to  march  at  daylight,  and  by  the  arrival  of  a  large 
number  of  peasants  brought  in  by  small  parties  of  the  cav- 
alry Many  were  the  surmises  as  to  the  operation  to  be 
undertaken,  its  object  being  kept  a  strict  secret.  Captain 
Ter^'oise's  company  was  one  of  those  in  orders,  and  paraded 
''  103 


104  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

at  daybreak,  and  after  a  march  of  some  distance  the  force 
joined  that  of  Baron  Spens.  The  troops  were  halted  in  a 
wood,  and  ordered  to  light  fires  to  cook  food  and  to  pre- 
pare for  a  halt  of  some  hours.  Great  fires  were  soon  blaz- 
ing, and  after  eating  their  meal  most  of  the  troops  wrapped 
themselves  in  the  blankets  that  they  carried  in  addition  to 
their  greatcoats,  and  lay  down  by  the  fires. 

They  slept  until  midnight,  and  were  then  called  to  arms 
again.  They  marched  all  night,  and  at  daybreak  the  next 
morning,  the  13th  of  February,  were  near  Pitschur,  and  at 
once  attacked  the  Russian  camp  outside  the  town.  Taken 
completely  by  surprise  the  Russians  fought  feebly,  and 
more  than  five  hundred  were  killed  before  they  entered  the 
town,  hotly  pursued  by  the  Swedes.  Shutting  themselves 
up  in  the  houses,  and  barricading  the  doors  and  windows, 
they  defended  themselves  desperately,  refusing  all  offers  of 
surrender.  The  Livonian  peasants  were,  however,  at  work, 
and  set  fire  to  the  town  in  many  places.  The  flames  spread 
rapidly.  Great  stores  of  hides  and  leather,  and  a  huge 
magazine  filled  with  hemp,  added  to  the  fury  of  the  con- 
flagration, and  the  whole  town  was  burned  to  the  ground  ;^ 
numbers  of  the  Russians  preferring  death  by  fire  in  the^^'^'''^ 
houses  to  coming  out  and  surrendering  themselves. 

Many  of  the  fugitives  had  succeeded  in  reaching  a  strong 
position  on  the  hill  commanding  the  town.  This  con- 
sisted of  a  convent  surrounded  by  strong  walls  mounted 
with  cannon,  which  played  upon  the  town  while  the  fight 
there  was  going  on.  As  Baron  Spens  had  no  guns  with 
him  he  was  unable  to  follow  up  his  advantage  by  taking 
this  position,  and  he  therefore  gave  orders  to  the  force  to 
retire,  the  peasants  being  loaded  with  booty  that  they  had 
gathered  before  the  fire  spread.  The  loss  of  the  Swedes 
was  thirty  killed  and  sixty  wounded,  this  being  a  small 
amount  of  loss  compared  with  what  they  had  inflicted  upon 
the  enemy. 


A   PRISONER  105 

"I  call  that  a  horrible  business,  Captain  Jervoise," 
Charlie  said,  when  the  troops  had  returned  to  Marienburg. 
"There  was  no  real  fighting  in  it." 

"  It  was  a  surprise,  Charlie.  Bui  they  fought  desperately 
after  they  gained  the  town." 

"Yes,  but  we  did  nothing  there  beyond  firing  away  at 
the  windows.  Of  course  I  had  my  sword  in  my  hand ;  but 
it  might  as  well  have  been  in  its  sheath,  for  I  never  struck 
a  blow,  and  I  think  it  was  the  same  with  most  of  our  men. 
One  could  not  cut  down  those  poor  wretches,  who  were 
scarce  awake  enough  to  use  their  arms.  I  was  glad  you 
held  our  company  in  rear  of  the  others." 

"Yes;  I  asked  the  colonel  before  attacking  to  put  us  in 
reserve,  in  case  the  enemy  should  rally.  I  did  it  on  pur- 
pose, for  I  knew  that  our  men,  not  having,  like  the  Swedes, 
any  personal  animosity  against  the  Russians,  would  not 
like  the  work.  If  it  had  come  to  storming  the  convent,  I 
would  have  volunteered  to  lead  the  assault.  At  any  rate  I 
am  glad  that,  although  a  few  of  the  men  are  wounded,  no 
lives  are  lost  in  our  company." 

Harry  cordialh^  agreed  with  his  friend.  "I  like  an  ex- 
pedition, Charlie,  if  there  is  fighting  to  be  done;  but  I 
don't  want  to  have  anything  more  to  do  with  surprises. 
However,  the  cavalry  had  a  good  deal  more  to  do  with  it 
than  we  had;  but,  as  you  say,  it  was  a  ghastly  business. 
The  only  comfort  is  they  began  it,  and  have  been  robbing 
the  peasants  and  destroying  their  homes  for  months." 

Many  small  expeditions  were  sent  out  with  equally 
favourable  results;  but  Captain  Jerv-oise's  company  took  no 
part  in  these  excursions.  Charles  XII.  was  passionately 
fond  of  hunting,  and  in  spite  of  his  many  occupations 
found  time  occasionally  to  spend  a  day  or  two  in  the  chase. 
A  few  days  after  the  attack  upon  Pitschur  he  came  to 
Marienburg  to  learn  all  particulars  of  the  Russian  posi- 
tion from  Colonel  Schlippenbach,  as  he  intended  in  the 


106  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

spring  to  attack  the  triangle  formed  by  three  fortresses,  in 
order  to  drive  the  Russians  farther  back  from  the  frontier. 

"I  hear  that  there  are  many  wolves  and  bears  in  the 
forest  five  leagues  to  the  north.  I  want  a  party  of  about 
fifty  footmen  to  drive  the  game,  and  as  many  horse,  in  case 
we  come  across  one  of  the  parties  of  Russians.  I  want 
some  hearty,  active  men  for  the  march.  I  will  send  the 
foot  on  this  afternoon,  and  ride  with  the  horse  so  as  to 
get  there  by  daybreak.  Which  is  your  best  company  of 
infantry?  " 

"  My  best  company  is  one  composed  chiefly  of  Scotch- 
men, though  there  are  some  English  among  them.  It 
belongs  to  the  Malmoe  Regiment,  and  is  commanded  by 
Captain  Jervoise,  an  Englishman.  I  do  not  say  that  they 
are  braver  than  our  Swedes;  they  have  not  been  tested  in 
any  desperate  service;  but  they  are  healthier  and  more 
hardy,  for  their  officers  since  the  battle  of  Narva  have  kept 
them  engaged  in  sports  of  all  kinds — mimic  battles,  foot- 
races, and  other  friendly  contests.  I  have  marked  them  at 
it  several  times,  and  wondered  sometimes  at  the  rough  play. 
But  it  has  had  its  effect.  While  the  rest  of  Suborn' s  regi- 
ment suffered  as  much  from  fever  as  the  other  troops,  scarce 
a  man  in  this  company  was  sick,  and  they  have  all  the 
winter  been  fit  for  arduous  service  at  any  moment." 

"That  is  good  indeed,  and  I  will  remember  it,  and  will 
see  that,  another  winter,  similar  games  are  carried  on 
throughout  the  army.  Let  the  company  be  paraded  at 
once.     I  will  myself  inspect  them." 

The  company's  call  was  sounded,  and,  surprised  at  a 
summons  just  as  they  were  cooking  their  dinners,  the  troops 
fell  in  in  front  of  their  quarters,  and  the  officers  took  their 
places  in  front  of  them  and  waited  for  orders. 

"  I  wonder  what  is  up  now,"  Nigel  Forbes  said  to  Harry. 
"You  have  not  heard  anything  from  your  father  of  our 
being  wanted,  have  you?  " 


A   PRISONER 


107 


"No;  he  was  just  as  much  surprised  as  I  was  when  a 
sergeant  ran  up  with  Schlippenbach's  order  that  the  com- 
pany were  to  fall  in." 

Five  minutes  after  they  had  formed  up,  three  officers 
were  seen  approaching  on  foot. 

"It  is  the  colonel  himself,"  Forbes  muttered,  as  Captain 
Jervoise  gave  the  word  to  the  men  to  stand  to  attention. 
A  minute  later  Captain  Jervoise  gave  the  order  for  the 
salute,  and  Harry  saw  that  the  tall  young  officer  walking 
with  the  colonel  was  the  king.  Without  speaking  a  word, 
Charles  walked  up  and  down  the  line  narrowly  inspecting 
the  men,  then  he  returned  to  the  front. 

"A  fine  set  of  fellows,  Schlippenbach.  I  wish  that,  like 
my  grandfather,  I  had  some  fifteen  thousand  of  such  troops 
under  my  orders.     Present  the  captain  to  me." 

The  officers  were  called  up,  and  Captain  Jervoise  was 

presented. 

"Your  company  does  you  great  credit.  Captain  Jervoise," 
the  king  said.  "  I  would  that  all  my  troops  looked  in  as 
good  health  and  condition.  Colonel  Schlippenbach  tells 
me  that  you  have  kept  your  men  in  good  health  all  through 
the  winter  by  means  of  sports  and  games.  It  is  a  good 
plan.  I  will  try  to  get  all  my  officers  to  adopt  it  another 
winter.     Do  the  men  join  in  them  willingly  ?  " 

Captain  Jer\'oise  and  his  officers  had  all,  during  the  nine 
months  that  had  passed  since  they  landed  in  Sweden,  done 
their  best  to  acquire  the  language,  and  could  now  speak  and 
understand  it  thoroughly. 

"They  like  it,  your  majesty.  Our  people  are  fond  of 
games  of  this  kind.  My  four  officers  take  part  in  them 
with  the  men." 

The  king  nodded.  "That  is  as  it  should  be.  It  must 
create  a  good  feeling  on  both  sides.  Present  your  officers 
to  me,  Captain  Jervoise." 

This  was  done,  and  the  king  spoke  a  few  words  to  each. 


108  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

Charlie  had  often  seen  the  king  at  a  distance,  but  never 
before  so  close  as  to  be  able  to  notice  his  face  particularly. 
He  was  a  tall  young  fellow,  thin  and  bony;  his  face  was 
long,  and  his  forehead  singularly  high  and  somewhat  pro- 
jecting. This  was  the  most  noticeable  feature  of  his  face. 
His  eyes  were  quick  and  keen,  his  face  clean-shaven,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  forehead  and  eyes  would  have 
attracted  no  attention.  His  movements  were  quick  and 
energetic,  and  after  speaking  to  the  officers  he  strode  a  step 
or  two  forward,  and  raising  his  voice  said :  "  I  am  pleased 
with  you,  men.  Your  appearance  does  credit  to  yourselves 
and  your  officers.  Scottish  troops  did  grand  service  under 
my  grandfather,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  and  I  would  that  I  had 
twenty  battalions  of  such  soldiers  with  me.  I  am  going 
hunting  to-morrow,  and  I  asked  Colonel  Schlippenbach  for 
half  a  company  of  men  who  could  stand  cold  and  fatigue. 
He  told  me  that  I  could  not  do  better  than  take  them  from 
among  this  company,  and  I  see  that  he  could  not  have 
made  a  better  choice;  but  I  will  not  separate  you,  and  will 
therefore  take  you  all.  You  will  march  in  an  hour,  and  I 
will  see  that  there  is  a  good  supper  ready  for  you  at  the 
end  of  your  journey." 

Colonel  Schlippenbach  gave  Captain  Jervoise  directions 
as  to  the  road  they  were  to  follow,  and  the  village  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest  where  they  were  to  halt  for  the  night. 
He  then  walked  away  with  the  king.  Highly  pleased 
with  the  praise  Charles  had  given  them,  the  company 
fell  out. 

"Get  your  dinners  as  soon  as  you  can,  men,"  Captain 
Jervoise  said.  "The  king  gave  us  an  hour.  We  must  be 
in  readiness  to  march  by  that  time." 

On  arriving  at  the  village,  which  consisted  of  a  few  small 
houses  only,  they  found  two  waggons  awaiting  them,  one 
with  tents  and  the  other  with  a  plentiful  supply  of  provi- 
sions and  a  barrel  of  wine.     The  tents  were  erected,  and 


A   PRISONER  109 

then  the  men  went  into  the  forest  and  soon  returned  with 
large  quantities  of  wood,  and  great  fires  were  speedily 
lighted.  Meat  was  cut  up  and  roasted  over  them,  and 
regarding  the  expedition  as  a  holiday,  the  men  sat  down  to 
their  supper  in  high  spirits.  After  it  was  eaten  there  were 
songs  round  the  fires,  and  at  nine  o'clock  all  turned  into 
their  tents,  as  it  was  known  that  the  king  would  arrive  at 
daylight.  Sentries  were  posted,  for  there  was  never  any 
saying  when  marauding  parties  of  Russians,  who  were  con- 
stantly on  the  move,  might  come  along.  Half  an  hour 
before  daybreak  the  men  were  aroused.  Tents  were  struck 
and  packed  in  the  waggon,  and  the  men  then  fell  in  and 
remained  until  the  king  with  three  or  four  of  his  ofificers 
and  fifty  cavalry  rode  up.  Fresh  wood  had  been  thrown  on 
the  fires,  and  some  of  the  men  told  off  as  cooks. 

"That  looks  cheerful  for  hungry  men,"  the  king  said  as 
he  leaped  from  his  horse. 

"I  did  not  know  whether  your  majesty  would  wish  to 
breakfast  at  once,"  Captain  Jervoise  said;  "but  I  thought 
it  well  to  be  prepared." 

"We  will  breakfast  by  all  means.  We  are  all  sharp  set 
already.     Have  your  own  men  had  food  yet?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  thought  perhaps  they  would  carry  it  with 
them." 

"No,  no;  let  them  all  have  a  hearty  meal  before  they 
move,  then  they  can  hold  on  as  long  as  may  be  necessary." 

The  company  fell  out  again,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
they  and  the  troopers  breakfasted.  A  joint  of  meat  was 
placed  for  the  use  of  the  king  and  the  officers  who  had 
come  with  him,  and  Captain  Jer\-oise  and  those  with  him 
prepared  to  take  their  meal  a  short  distance  away,  but 
Charles  said:  "Bring  that  joint  here.  Captain  Jervoise, 
and  we  will  all  take  breakfast  together.  We  are  all  hunters 
and  comrades." 

In  a  short  time  they  were  all  seated  round  a  fire  with 


110  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

their  meat  on  wooden  platters  on  their  knees,  and  with 
mugs  of  wine  beside  them,  Captain  Jervoise  by  the  king's 
orders  taking  his  seat  beside  him.  During  the  meal  he 
asked  him  many  questions  as  to  his  reasons  for  leaving 
England  and  taking  service  with  him. 

"So  you  have  meddled  in  politics,  eh?"  the  king 
laughed,  when  he  heard  a  brief  account  of  Captain  Jer- 
voise's  reason  for  leaving  home.  "Your  quarrels  in 
England  and  Scotland  have  added  many  a  thousand  good 
soldiers  to  the  armies  of  France  and  Sweden,  and  I  may 
say  of  every  country  in  Europe.  I  believe  there  are  some 
of  your  compatriots,  or  at  any  rate  Scotchmen,  in  the 
czar's  camp.  I  suppose  that  at  William's  death  these 
troubles  will  cease." 

"I  do  not  know,  sir.  Anne  was  James'  favourite 
daughter,  and  it  may  be  she  will  resign  in  favour  of  her 
brother,  the  lawful  king.  If  she  does  so  there  is  an  end 
of  trouble ;  but  should  she  mount  the  throne  she  would  be 
a  usurper,  as  Mary  was  up  to  her  death  in  '94.  As  Anne 
has  been  on  good  terms  with  William  since  her  sister's 
death,  I  fear  she  will  act  as  unnatural  a  part  as  Mary  did, 
and  in  that  case  assuredly  we  shall  not  recognize  her  as  our 
queen." 

"  You  have  heard  the  news,  I  suppose,  of  the  action  of 
the  parliament  last  month?  " 

"  No,  sir,  we  have  heard  nothing  for  some  weeks  of  what 
is  doing  in  England." 

"They  have  been  making  an  Act  of  Settlement  of  the 
succession.  Anne  is  to  succeed  William,  and  as  she  has 
no  children  by  George  of  Denmark,  the  succession  is  to 
pass  from  her  to  the  Elector  of  Hanover,  in  right  of  his 
wife  Sophia,  as  the  rest  of  the  childen  of  the  Elector  of  the 
Palatinate  have  abjured  Protestantism,  and  are  therefore  ex- 
cluded. How  will  that  meet  the  views  of  the  English  and 
Scotch  Jacobites?  " 


A    PRISONER  111 

"  It  is  some  distance  to  look  forward  to,  sire.  If  Anne 
comes  to  the  throne  at  William's  death,  it  will,  I  think, 
postpone  our  hopes,  for  Anne  is  a  Stuart,  and  is  a  favourite 
with  the  nation  in  spite  of  her  undutiful  conduct  to  her 
father.  Still  it  will  be  felt  that  for  Stuart  to  fight  against 
Stuart,  brother  against  sister,  would  be  contrary  to  nature. 
Foreigners  are  always  unpopular,  and  as  against  William, 
every  Jacobite  is  ready  to  take  up  arms.  But  I  think  that 
nothing  will  be  done  during  x^nne's  reign.  The  Elector 
of  Hanover  would  be  as  unpopular  among  Englishmen  in 
general  as  is  William  of  Orange,  and  should  he  come  to 
the  throne  there  will  assuredly  ere  long  be  a  rising  to  bring 
back  the  Stuarts." 

Charles  shook  his  head. 

"I  don't  want  to  ruffle  your  spirit  of  loyalty  to  the  Stu- 
arts, Captain  Jervoise,  but  they  have  showed  themselves 
weak  monarchs  for  a  great  country.  They  want  fibre. 
William  of  Orange  may  be,  as  you  call  him,  a  foreigner 
and  a  usurper,  but  England  has  greater  weight  in  the  coun- 
cils of  Europe  in  his  hands  than  it  has  had  since  the  death 
of  Elizabeth." 

This  was  rather  a  sore  point  with  Captain  Jervoise,  who, 
thorough  Jacobite  as  he  was,  had  smarted  under  the  subser- 
vience of  England  to  France  during  the  reigns  of  the  two 
previous  monarchs.  "You  Englishmen  and  Scotchmen  are 
fighting  people,"  the  king  went  on,  "and  should  have  a 
military  monarch.  I  do  not  mean  a  king  like  myself,  who 
likes  to  fight  in  the  front  ranks  of  his  soldiers;  but  one  like 
William,  who  has  certainly  lofty  aims,  and  is  a  statesman, 
and  can  join  in  European  combinations." 

"William  thinks  and  plans  more  for  Holland  than  for 
England,  sire.  He  would  join  a  league  against  France  and 
Spain,  not  so  much  for  the  benefit  of  England,  which  has 
not  much  to  fear  from  these  powers,  but  of  Holland,  whose 
existence  now  as  of  old  is  threatened  by  them." 


112 


A   JACOBITE   EXILE 


"England's  interest  is  similar  to  that  of  Holland,"  the 
king  said.  "  I  began  this  war  nominally  in  the  interest  of 
the  Duke  of  Holstein,  but  really  because  it  was  Sweden's 
interest  that  Denmark  should  not  become  too  powerful. 
But  we  must  not  waste  time  in  talking  politics.  I  see  the 
men  have  finished  their  breakfast,  and  we  are  here  to  hunt. 
I  shall  keep  twenty  horse  with  me;  the  rest  will  enter  the 
forest  with  you.  I  have  arranged  for  the  peasants  here  to 
guide  you.  You  will  march  two  miles  along  by  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  and  then  enter  it  and  make  a  wide  semi- 
circle, leaving  men  as  you  go,  until  you  come  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  forest  again  a  mile  to  our  left. 

"  As  soon  as  you  do  so  you  will  sound  a  trumpet,  and  the 
men  will  then  move  forward,  shouting  so  as  to  drive  the 
game  before  them.  As  the  peasants  tell  me  there  are  many 
wolves  and  bears  in  the  forest,  I  hope  that  you  will  inclose 
some  of  them  in  your  cordon,  which  will  be  about  five 
miles  from  end  to  end.  With  the  horse  you  will  have  a 
hundred  and  thirty  men,  so  that  there  will  be  a  man  every 
sixty  or  seventy  yards.  That  is  too  wide  a  space  at  first, 
but  as  you  close  in  the  distances  will  rapidly  lessen,  and- 
they  must  make  up  by  noise  for  the  scantiness  of  their 
numbers.  If  they  find  the  animals  are  trying  to  break 
through  they  can  discharge  their  pieces;  but  do  not  let 
them  do  so  otherwise,  as  it  would  frighten  the  animals  too 
soon,  and  send  them  flying  out  all  along  the  open  side  of 
the  semicircle." 

It  was  more  than  two  hours  before  the  whole  of  the 
beaters  were  in  position.  Just  before  they  had  started  the 
king  had  requested  Captain  Jervoise  to  remain  with  him 
and  the  officers  who  had  accompanied  him,  five  in  number. 
They  had  been  posted  a  hundred  yards  apart  at  the  edge  of 
the  forest.  Charlie  was  the  first  officer  left  behind  as  the 
troop  moved  through  the  forest,  and  it  seemed  to  him  an 
endless  time  before  he  heard  a   faint  shout,  followed  by 


A   PRISONER  113 

another  and  another,  until  at  last  the  man  stationed  next  to 
him  repeated  the  signal.  Then  they  moved  forward,  each 
trying  to  obey  the  orders  to  march  straight  ahead.  For 
some  time  nothing  was  heard  save  the  shouts  of  the  men, 
and  then  Charlie  made  out  some  distant  shots  far  in  the 
wood,  and  guessed  that  some  animals  were  trying  to  break 
through  the  lines.  Then  he  heard  the  sound  of  firing 
directly  in  front  of  him.  This  continued  for  some  time, 
occasionally  single  shots  being  heard,  but  more  often  shots 
in  close  succession.  Louder  and  louder  grew  the  shouting 
as  the  men  closed  in  towards  a  common  point,  and  in  half 
an  hour  after  the  signal  had  been  given  all  met. 

"What  sport  have  you  had,  father?  "  Harry  asked  as  he 
came  up  to  Captain  Jervoise. 

"  We  killed  seventeen  wolves  and  four  bears,  with,  what 
is  more  important,  six  stags.  I  do  not  know  whether  we 
are  going  to  have  another  beat." 

It  soon  turned  out  that  this  was  the  king's  intention,  and 
the  troops  marched  along  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Charlie 
was  in  the  front  of  his  company,  the  king  with  the  cavalry 
a  few  hundred  yards  ahead,  when  from  a  dip  of  ground  on 
the  right  a  large  body  of  horsemen  suddenly  appeared. 

"  Russians !  "  Captain  Jervoise  exclaimed,  and  shouted  to 
the  men,  who  were  marching  at  ease,  to  close  up.  The 
king  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  at  the  head  of  his  fifty 
cavalry,  charged  right  down  upon  the  Russians,  who  were 
at  least  five  hundred  strong.  The  little  body  disappeared 
in  the  melee,  and  then  seemed  to  be  swallowed  up. 

"Keep  together,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  men.  Double!" 
and  the  company  set  off  at  a  run.  When  they  came  close 
to  the  mass  of  horsemen  they  poured  in  a  volley,  and  then 
rushed  forward,  hastily  fitting  the  short  pikes  they  carried 
into  their  musket-barrels;  for  as  yet  the  modern  form  of 
bayonets  was  not  used.  The  Russians  fought  obstinately, 
but  the  infantry  pressed  their  way  step  by  step  through 


114  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

them  until  they  reached  the  spot  where  the  king  with  his 
little  troop  of  cavalry  were  defending  themselves  desper- 
ately from  the  attacks  of  the  Russians.  The  arrival  of  the 
infantry  decided  the  contest,  and  the  Russians  began  to 
draw  off,  the  king  hastening  the  movement  by  plunging  into 
the  midst  of  them  with  his  horsemen. 

Charlie  was  on  the  flank  of  the  company  as  it  advanced, 
and  after  running  through  a  Russian  horseman  with  the 
short  pike  that  was  carried  by  officers  he  received  a  tre- 
mendous blow  on  his  steel  cap,  that  stretched  him  insensi- 
ble on  the  ground.  When  he  recovered  he  felt  that  he 
was  being  carried,  and  soon  awoke  to  the  fact  that  he  was 
a  prisoner. 

After  a  long  ride  the  Russians  arrived  at  Plescow. 
They  had  lost  some  sixty  men  in  the  fight.  Charlie  was 
the  only  prisoner  taken.  He  was,  on  dismounting,  too 
weak  to  stand,  but  he  was  half-carried  and  half-dragged  to 
the  quarters  of  the  Russian  officer  in  command.  The  latter 
addressed  him,  but  finding  that  he  was  not  understood,  sent 
for  an  officer  who  spoke  Swedish. 

"What  were  the  party  you  were  with  doing  in  the  wood?  " 

"We  were  hunting  wolves  and  bears." 

"Where  did  you  come  from?" 

"From  Marienburg." 

"How  strong  were  you?" 

"Fifty  horse  and  a  hundred  and  forty  foot,"  Charlie 
replied,  knowing  there  could  be  no  harm  in  stating  the 
truth. 

"  But  it  was  a  long  way  to  march  merely  to  hunt,  and  your 
officers  must  have  been  mad  to  come  out  with  so  small  a 
party  to  a  point  where  they  were  likely  to  meet  with  us." 

"  It  was  not  too  small  a  party,  sir,  as  they  managed  to 
beat  off  the  attack  made  upon  them." 

The  Russian  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  he  asked: 
"Who  was  the  officer  in  command?  " 


A  PRISONER  115 

"The  officer  in  command  was  the  King  of  Sweden," 
Charlie  replied.  An  exclamation  of  surprise  and  anger 
broke  from  the  Russian  general  when  the  answer  was  trans- 
lated to  him.  "  You  missed  a  good  chance  of  distinguishing 
yourself,"  he  said  to  the  officer  in  command  of  the  troops. 
"  Here  has  this  mad  King  of  Sweden  been  actually  putting 
himself  in  your  hands,  and  you  have  let  him  slip  through 
your  fingers.  It  would  have  got  you  two  steps  in  rank  and 
the  favour  of  the  czar  had  you  captured  him,  and  now  he 
will  be  in  a  rage  indeed  when  he  hears  that  five  hundred 
cavalry  could  do  nothing  against  a  force  only  a  third  of 
their  number." 

"  I  had  no  idea  that  the  King  of  Sweden  was  there  him- 
self," the  officer  said  humbly. 

"Bah,  that  is  no  excuse.  There  were  officers,  and  you 
ought  to  have  captured  them  instead  of  allowing  yourself 
to  be  put  to  flight  by  a  hundred  and  fifty  men." 

"We  must  have  killed  half  the  horsemen  before  the 
infantry  came  up." 

"All  the  worse,  colonel,  that  you  did  not  complete  the 
business.  The  infantry  would  not  have  been  formidable 
after  they  discharged  their  pieces.  However,  it  is  your 
own  affair,  and  I  wash  my  hands  of  it.  What  the  czar  will 
say  when  he  hears  of  it  I  know  not,  but  I  would  not  be  in 
your  shoes  for  all  my  estates."  As  Charlie  learned  after- 
wards, the  colonel  was  degraded  from  his  rank  by  the  angry 
czar,  and  ordered  to  serve  as  a  private  in  the  regiment  he 
commanded.  The  officer  who  acted  as  translator  said 
something  in  his  own  tongue  to  the  general,  who  then, 
through  him,  said — "This  officer  tells  me  that  by  your 
language  you  are  not  a  Swede." 

"  I  am  not.  I  am  English,  and  I  am  an  ensign  in  the 
Malmoe  Regiment." 

"All  the  worse  for  you,"  the  general  said.  "The  czar 
has  declared  that  he  will  exchange  no  foreign  officers  who 
may  be  taken  prisoners." 


116  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Very  well,  sir,**  Charlie  said,  fearlessly.  "He  will  be 
only  punishing  his  own  officers.  There  are  plenty  of  them 
in  the  King  of  Sweden's  hands." 

The  general,  when  this  reply  was  translated  to  him, 
angrily  ordered  Charlie  to  be  taken  away,  and  he  was  soon 
lodged  in  a  cell  in  the  castle.  His  head  was  still  swimming 
from  the  effects  of  the  blow  that  had  stricken  him  down, 
and  without  even  trying  to  think  over  his  position  he  threw 
himself  down  on  the  straw  pallet,  and  was  soon  asleep.  It 
was  morning  when  he  woke,  and  for  a  short  time  he  was 
unable  to  imagine  where  he  was,  but  soon  recalled  what 
had  happened.  He  had  been  visited  by  some  one  after  he 
had  lain  down,  for  a  platter  of  bread  and  meat  stood  on  the 
table,  and  a  jug  of  water.  He  was  also  covered  with  two 
thick  blankets.  These  had  not  been  there  when  he  lay 
down,  for  he  had  wondered  vaguely  as  to  how  he  should 
pass  the  night  without  some  covering.  He  took  a  long 
draught  of  water,  then  ate  some  food.  His  head  throbbed 
with  the  pain  of  the  wound.  It  had  been  roughly  bandaged 
by  his  captors,  but  needed  surgical  dressing. 

"I  wonder  how  long  I  am  likely  to  be  before  I  am 
exchanged,"  he  said  to  himself.  "A  long  time,  I  am 
afraid;  for  there  are  scores  of  Russian  officers  prisoners 
with  us,  and  I  don't  think  there  are  half  a  dozen  of  ours 
captured  by  the  Russians.  Of  course  no  exchange  can  take 
place  until  there  are  a  good  batch  to  send  over,  and  it  may 
be  months  may  pass  before  they  happen  to  lay  hands  on 
enough  Swedish  officers  to  make  it  worth  while  to  trouble 
about  exchanging  them." 

i\n  hour  later  the  door  opened  and  an  officer  entered, 
followed  by  a  soldier  with  a  large  bowl  of  broth  and  some 
bread. 

"I  am  a  doctor,"  he  said  in  Swedish.  "I  came  in  to 
see  you  yesterday  evening,  but  you  were  sound  asleep,  and 
that  was  a  better  medicine  than  any  I  can  give;  so  I  told 


A   PRISONER  117 

the  man  to  throw  those  two  barrack  rugs  over  you,  and  leave 
your  food  in  case  you  should  wake,  which  did  not  seem  to 
me  likely.  I  see,  however,  that  you  did  wake,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  plate. 

"That  was  not  till  this  morning,  doctor;  it  is  not  an  hour 
since  I  ate  it." 

"This  broth  will  be  better  for  you,  and  I  daresay  you  can 
manage  another  breakfast.  Sit  down  and  take  it  at  once 
while  it  is  hot.  I  am  in  no  hurry."  He  gave  an  order  in 
Russian  to  the  soldier,  who  went  out,  and  returned  in  a 
few  minutes  with  a  small  wooden  tub  filled  with  hot  water. 
By  this  time  Charlie  had  finished  the  broth.  The  doctor 
then  bathed  his  head  for  some  time  in  hot  water,  but  was 
obliged  to  cut  off  some  of  his  hair  in  order  to  remove  the 
bandage.  As  he  examined  the  wound  Charlie  was  astounded 
to  hear  him  mutter  to  himself : 

"It  is  a  mighty  nate  clip  you  have  got,  my  boy;  and  if 
your  skull  had  not  been  a  thick  one,  it  is  lying  out  there  on 
the  turf  you  would  be." 

Charlie  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  "  So  you  are  English 
too,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  looked  up  into  the  surgeon's 
face. 

"At  laste  Irish,  my  boy,"  the  doctor  said,  as  surprised 
as  Charlie  had  been.  "To  think  we  should  have  been 
talking  Swedish  to  each  other  instead  of  our  native  tongue. 
And  what  is  your  name?  And  what  is  it  you  are  doing 
here  as  a  Swede,  at  all?" 

"  My  name  is  Charles  Carstairs.  I  come  from  Lanca- 
shire, just  on  the  borders  of  Westmoreland.  My  father 
is  a  Jacobite,  and  so  had  to  leave  the  country.  He  went 
over  to  Sweden,  and  I  with  some  friends  of  his  got  com- 
missions." 

"Then  our  cases  are  pretty  much  alike,"  the  doctor  said. 
"I  had  gone  through  Dublin  University,  and  had  just 
passed  as  a  surgeon  when  King  James  landed.     It  didn't 


118  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

much  matter  to  me  who  was  king,  but  I  thought  it  was  a 
fine  opportunity  to  study  gunshot  wounds,  so  I  joined  the 
royal  army,  and  was  at  the  battle  of  the  Boyne.  I  had 
plenty  of  work  with  wounds  early  in  the  day,  but  when, 
after  the  Irish  had  fairly  beat  the  Dutchman  back  all  day, 
they  made  up  their  minds  to  march  away  at  night,  I  had  to 
lave  my  patients  and  be  off  too.  Then  I  was  shut  up  in  Lim- 
erick; and  I  was  not  idle  there,  as  you  may  guess.  When 
at  last  the  surrender  came  I  managed  to  slip  away,  having 
no  fancy  for  going  over  with  the  regiments  that  were  to 
enter  the  service  of  France.  I  thought  I  could  have  gone 
back  to  Dublin,  and  that  no  one  would  trouble  about  me; 
but  some  one  put  them  up  to  it,  and  I  had  to  go  without 
stopping  to  ask  leave.  I  landed  at  Bristol,  and  there  for 
a  time  was  nearly  starving. 

"  I  was  well-nigh  my  wits'  end  as  to  what  to  do  for  a  liv- 
ing, and  had  just  spent  my  last  shilling,  when  I  met  an 
English  captain  who  told  me  that  across  at  Gottenburg 
there  were  a  good  many  Irish  and  Scotchmen  who  had, 
like  myself,  been  in  trouble  at  home.  He  gave  me  a  pas- 
sage across,  and  took  me  to  the  house  of  a  man  he  knew. 
Of  course,  it  was  no  use  my  trying  to  doctor  people  when 
they  could  not  tell  me  what  was  the  matter  with  them, 
and  I  worked  at  one  thing  and  another,  doing  anything  I 
could  turn  my  hands  to,  for  four  or  five  months.  That  is 
how  I  got  to  pick  up  Swedish.  Then  some  people  told  me 
that  Russia  was  a  place  where  a  doctor  might  get  on,  for 
that  they  had  got  no  doctors  for  their  army  who  knew  any- 
thing of  surgery,  and  the  czar  was  always  ready  to  take  on 
foreigners  who  could  teach  them  anything.  I  had  got  my 
diploma  with  me,  and  some  of  my  friends  came  forward 
and  subscribed  enough  to  rig  me  out  in  clothes  and  pay  my 
passage.  What  was  better,  one  of  them  happened  to  have 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Le  Ford,  who  was,  as  you  may 
have  heard,  the  czar's  most  intimate  friend. 


A   PRISONER  119 

"I  wished  myself  back  a  hundred  times  before  I  reached 
Moscow,  but  when  I  did  everything  was  easy  for  me.  Le 
Ford  introduced  me  to  the  czar,  and  I  was  appointed  sur- 
geon of  a  newly-raised  regiment,  of  which  Le  Ford  was 
colonel.  That  was  eight  years  ago,  and  I  am  now  a  sort  of 
surgeon-general  of  a  division,  and  am  at  the  head  of  the 
hospitals  about  here.  Till  the  war  began  I  had  not  for 
five  years  done  any  military  work,  but  had  been  at  the  head 
of  a  college  the  czar  has  established  for  training  surgeons 
for  the  army.  I  was  only  sent  down  here  after  that  busi- 
ness at  Narva.  So  you  see  I  have  fallen  on  my  feet.  The 
czar's  is  a  good  service,  and  we  employ  a  score  or  two  of 
Scotchmen,  most  of  them  in  good  posts.  He  took  to  them 
because  a  Scotchman,  General  Gordon,  and  other  foreign 
officers,  rescued  him  from  his  sister  Sophia,  who  intended 
to  assassinate  him,  and  established  him  firmly  on  the 
throne  of  his  father.  It  is  a  pity  you  are  not  on  this  side. 
Perhaps  it  isn't  too  late  to  change,  eh?" 

Charlie  laughed.  "My  father  is  in  Sweden,  and  my 
company  is  commanded  by  a  man  who  is  as  good  as  a 
father  to  me,  and  his  son  is  like  my  brother.  If  there 
were  no  other  reason  I  could  not  change.  Why,  it  was 
only  yesterday  I  was  sitting  round  a  bivouac  fire  with  King 
Charles,  and  nothing  would  induce  me  to  fight  against 
him." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  try  to  persuade  you.  The  czar  has 
treated  me  well,  and  I  love  him.  By  the  way,  I  have  not 
given  you  my  name  after  all.     It's  Terence  Kelly." 

"Is  not  the  czar  very  fierce  and  cruel?  " 

"  Bedad,  I  would  be  much  more  cruel  and  fierce  if  I  were 
in  his  place.  Just  think  of  one  man  with  all  Russia  on  his 
shoulders.  There  is  he  trying  to  improve  the  country, 
working  like  a  horse  himself,  knowing  that,  like  every 
other  Russian,  he  is  as  ignorant  as  a  pig,  and  setting  to 
improve  himself— working  in  the  dockyards  of   Holland 


120  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

and  England,  attending  lectures,  and  all  kinds  of  subjects. 
Why,  man,  he  learnt  anatomy,  and  can  take  off  a  leg  as 
quickly  as  I  can.  He  is  building  a  fleet  and  getting  to- 
gether an  army.  It  is  not  much  good  yet,  you  will  say,  but 
it  will  be  some  day.  You  can  turn  a  peasant  into  a  soldier 
in  six  months,  but  it  takes  a  long  time  to  turn  out  generals 
and  officers  who  are  fit  for  their  work. 

"Then,  while  he  is  trying  everywhere  to  improve  his 
country,  every  man  jack  of  them  objects  to  being  im- 
proved, and  wants  to  go  along  in  his  old  ways.  Didn't 
they  get  up  an  insurrection  only  because  he  wanted  them 
to  cut  off  their  beards?  Any  other  man  would  have  lost 
heart  and  given  it  up  years  ago.  It  looks  as  hopeless  a 
task  as  for  a  mouse  to  drag  a  mountain,  but  he  is  doing  it. 
I  don't  say  that  he  is  perfect.  He  gets  into  passions,  and 
it  is  mighty  hard  for  anyone  he  gets  into  a  passion  with. 
But  who  would  not  get  into  passions  when  there  is  so  much 
work  to  be  done,  and  every  one  tries  to  hinder  instead  of 
to  help?  It  would  break  the  heart  of  St.  Patrick!  Why, 
that  affair  at  Narva  would  have  broken  down  most  men. 
Here  for  years  has  he  been  working  to  make  an  army,  and 
the  first  time  they  meet  an  enemy  worthy  of  the  name, 
what  do  they  do?  Why,  they  are  beaten  by  a  tenth  of  their 
number  of  half-starved  men,  led  by  a  mad-brained  young 
fellow  who  had  never  heard  a  shot  fired  before,  and  lose  all 
their  cannon,  guns,  ammunition,  and  stores.  Why,  I 
was  heart-broken  myself  when  I  heard  of  it;  but  Peter, 
instead  of  blowing  out  his  brains  or  drowning  himself,  set 
to  work,  an  hour  after  the  news  reached  him,  to  bring  up 
fresh  troops,  to  re-arm  the  men,  and  to  prepare  to  meet  the 
Swedes  again  as  soon  as  the  snow  is  off  the  ground.  If 
James  of  England  had  been  Peter  of  Russia  he  would  be 
ruling  over  Ireland  now,  and  England  and  Scotland  too. 
But  now  I  must  be  off.  Don't  you  worry  about  your  head, 
I  have  seen  as  bad  a  clip  given  by  a  blackthorn.     I  have 


A   PRISONER  121 

got  to  go  round  now  and  see  the  wounded,  and  watch 
some  operations  being  done,  but  I  will  come  in  again  this 
evening.  Don't  eat  any  more  of  their  messes  if  they  bring 
them  in;  you  and  I  will  have  a  snug  little  dinner  together. 
I  might  get  you  put  into  a  more  dacent  chamber,  but  the 
general  is  one  of  the  old  pig-headed  sort.  We  don't  pull 
together,  so  I  would  rather  not  ask  any  favours  from  him. 
The  czar  may  come  any  day — he  is  always  flying  about.  I 
will  speak  to  him  when  he  comes,  and  see  that  you  have 
better  entertainment." 


CHAPTER  VII 

EXCHANGED 

LATE  in  the  afternoon,  Dr.  Kelly  came  in  again  to  the 
cell.  "Come  along,"  he  said;  "I  have  got  lave  for 
you  to  have  supper  with  me,  and  have  given  my  pledge  that 
you  won't  try  to  escape  till  it  is  over,  or  make  any  onslaught 
on  the  garrison,  but  will  behave  like  a  quiet  and  peaceable 
man." 

"You  are  quite  safe  in  giving  the  pledge,  doctor," 
Charlie  laughed. 

"Come  along  then,  me  boy,  for  they  were  just  dishing 
up  when  I  came  to  fetch  you;  it  is  cold  enough  outside, 
and  there  is  no  sinse  in  putting  cold  victuals  into  one  in 
such  weather  as  this." 

They  were  not  long  in  reaching  a  snugly-furnished  room, 
where  a  big  fire  was  burning.  Another  gentleman  was 
standing  with  his  back  to  it.  He  was  a  man  of  some  seven 
or  eight-and-twenty,  with  large  features,  dark  brown  hair 
falling  in  natural  curls  over  his  ears,  and  large  and  power- 
ful in  build. 

"This  is  my  friend,  Charlie  Carstairs,"  the  doctor  said. 
"This,  Carstairs,  is  Peter  Michaeloff,  a  better  doctor  than 
most  of  those  who  mangle  the  czar's  soldiers." 

"Things  will  better  in  time,"  the  other  said,  "when  your 
pupils  begin  to  take  their  places  in  the  army." 

122 


EXCHANGED  123 

"I  hope  so,"  the  doctor  said,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"There  is  one  comfort,  they  can't  be  much  worse."  At 
this  moment  a  servant  entered  bearing  a  bowl  of  soup  and 
three  basins.     They  at  once  seated  themselves  at  the  table. 

"So  you  managed  to  get  yourself  captured  yesterday," 
Dr.  Michaeloff  said  to  Charlie.  "I  have  not  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  many  of  you  gentlemen  here." 

"We  don't  come  if  we  can  help  it,"  Charlie  laughed. 
"  But  the  Cossacks  were  so  pressing  that  I  could  not  resist. 
In  fact  I  did  not  know  anything  about  it  until  I  was  well 
on  the  way." 

"  I  hope  they  have  made  you  comfortable,"  the  other  said 
sharply. 

"I  can't  say  much  for  the  food,"  Charlie  said,  "and  still 
less  for  the  cell,  which  was  bitterly  cold.  Still,  as  the 
doctor  gave  me  two  rugs  to  wrap  myself  up  in,  I  need  not 
grumble." 

"  That  is  not  right, "  the  other  said  angrily.  "  I  hear  that 
the  King  of  Sweden  treats  our  prisoners  well.  You  should 
have  remonstrated,  Kelly." 

The  Irishman  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "I  ventured  to 
hint  to  the  general  that  I  thought  an  officer  had  a  right  to 
better  treatment  even  if  he  were  a  prisoner,  but  I  was  told 
sharply  to  mind  my  own  business,  which  was  with  the  sick 
and  wounded.  I  said  as  the  prisoner  was  wounded  I  thought 
it  was  a  matter  that  did  come  to  some  extent  under  my 
control." 

"What  did  the  pig  say?" 

"He  grumbled  something  between  his  teeth  that  I  did 
not  catch,  and  as  I  thought  the  prisoner  would  not  be  kept 
there  long,  and  was  not  unaccustomed  to  roughing  it,  it  was 
not  worth  while  pressing  the  matter  further." 

"  Have  you  heard  that  an  officer  has  been  here  this  after- 
noon with  a  flag  of  truce  to  treat  for  your  exchange?  "  Dr. 
Michaeloff  said,  turning  suddenly  to  Charlie. 


124  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Noj  I  have  not  heard  anything  about  it,"  Charlie 
said. 

"  He  offered  a  captain  for  you,  which  you  may  consider 
a  high  hoiiour." 

"  It  is,  no  doubt,"  Charlie  said  with  a  smile.  "  I  suppose 
his  majesty  thought,  as  it  was  in  his  special  service  I  was 
caught,  he  was  bound  to  get  me  released  if  he  could." 

"It  was  a  hunting  party,  was  it  not?  " 

"Yes.  There  was  only  the  king  with  four  of  his  officers 
there,  and  my  company  of  foot  and  fifty  horse.  I  don't 
think  I  can  call  it  an  escort,  for  we  went  principally  as 
beaters." 

"Rustoff  missed  a  grand  chance  there,  Kelly.  What 
regiment  do  you  belong  to?"  And  he  again  turned  to 
Charlie. 

"The  Malmoe  Regiment.  The  company  is  commanded 
by  an  English  gentleman,  who  is  a  neighbour  and  great 
friend  of  my  father.  His  son  is  an  ensign,  and  my  greatest 
friend.  The  men  are  all  either  Scotch  or  English,  but  most 
of  them  Scotch." 

"They  are  good  soldiers  the  Scotch;  none  better.  There 
are  a  good  many  in  the  Russian  service,  also  in  that  of 
Austria  and  France;  they  are  always  faithful  and  to  be  relied 
upon  even  when  native  troops  prove  treacherous.  And  you 
like  Charles  of  Sweden?  " 

"There  is  not  a  soldier  in  his  army  but  likes  him," 
Charlie  said  enthusiastically.  "  He  expects  us  to  do  much, 
but  he  does  more  himself.  All  through  the  winter  he  did 
everything  in  his  power  for  us,  riding  long  distances  from 
camp  to  camp  to  visit  the  sick  and  to  keep  up  the  spirits 
of  the  men.  If  we  live  roughly  so  does  he,  and  on  the 
march  he  will  take  his  meals  among  the  soldiers,  and  wrap 
himself  up  in  his  cloak,  and  sleep  on  the  bare  ground  just 
as  they  do.  And  as  for  his  bravery,  he  exposes  his  life 
recklessly — too  recklessly,  we  all  think — and  it  seemed  a 


EXCHANGED 


125 


miracle  that,  always  in  the  front  as  he  was,  he  should  have 

got  through  Narva  without  a  scratch." 

"Yes,  that  was  a  bad  bit  of  business  that  Narva,"  the 

other   said   thoughtfully.     "Why   do    you   think  we   were 

beaten  in  the  horrible  way  we  were — because  the  Russians 

are  no  cowards?  " 

"No;  they  made   a  gallant  stand  when  they  recovered 

from  their  surprise,"   Charlie   agreed.     "But   in  the  first 

place,  they  were  taken  by  surprise." 

"They  ought  not  to  have  been,"  the  doctor  said  angrily. 

"  They  had  news  two  days  before  brought  by  the  cavalry, 

who  ought  to  have  defended  that  pass,  but  didn't." 

"Still  it  was  a  surprise  when  we  attacked,"  Charlie  said, 
"  for  they  could  not  suppose  that  the  small  body  they  saw 
were  going  to  assail  them.  Then  we  had  the  cover  of  that 
snowstorm,  and  they  did  not  see  us  until  we  reached  the 
edge  of  the  ditch.  Of  course,  your  general  ought  to  have 
made  proper  dispositions,  and  to  have  collected  the  greater 
part  of  his  troops  at  the  spot  facing  us,  instead  of  having 
them  strung  out  round  that  big  semicircle,  so  that  when  we 
made  an  entry  they  were  separated,  and  each  half  was  igno- 
rant of  what  the  other  was  doing.  Still,  even  then  they 
might  have  concentrated  between  the  trenches  and  the 
town.  But  no  orders  had  been  given.  The  general  was 
one  of  the  first  we  captured,  the  others  waited  for  the  orders 
that  never  came  until  it  was  too  late.  If  the  general  who 
commanded  on  the  left  had  massed  his  troops,  and  marched 
against  us  as  we  were  attacking  the  position  they  held 
on  their  right,  we  should  have  been  caught  between  two 

fires." 

"It  was  a  badly  managed  business  altogether,"  Dr. 
Michaeloff  growled;  "but  we  shall  do  better  next  time. 
We  shall  understand  Charles's  tactics  better.  We  reckoned 
on  his  troops,  but  we  did  not  reckon  on  him.  Kelly  tells 
me  that  you  would  not  care  to  change  service." 


126  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"My  friends  are  in  the  Swedish  army,  and  I  am  well 
satisfied  with  the  service.  I  daresay  if  Russia  had  been 
nearer  England  than  Sweden  is,  and  we  had  landed  there 
first,  we  should  have  been  as  glad  to  enter  the  service  of 
the  czar  as  we  were  to  join  that  of  King  Charles.  Every  one 
says  that  the  czar  makes  strangers  welcome,  and  that  he  is 
a  liberal  master  to  those  who  serve  him  well.  As  to  the 
quarrel  between  them,  I  am  not  old  enough  to  be  able  to  give 
my  opinion  on  it,  though,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  it  seems 
to  me  that  it  was  not  a  fair  thing  for  Russia  to  take  advan- 
tage of  Sweden's  being  at  war  with  Denmark  and  Augustus 
of  Saxony,  to  fall  upon  her  without  any  cause  of  quarrel." 

"Nations  move  less  by  morality  than  interest,"  Dr. 
Michaeloff  said  calmly.  "  Russia  wants  a  way  to  the  sea 
— the  Turks  cut  her  off  to  the  south,  and  the  Swedes  from 
the  Baltic.  She  is  smothered  between  them,  and  when  she 
saw  her  chance  she  took  it.  That  is  not  good  morality,  I 
admit  that  it  is  the  excuse  of  the  poor  man  who  robs  the 
rich,  but  it  is  human  nature,  and  nations  act  in  the  long 
run  a  good  deal  like  individuals." 

"But  you  have  not  told  me  yet,  doctor,"  Charlie  said, 
turning  the  conversation,  "whether  the  proposal  for  an 
exchange  was  accepted." 

"  The  general  had  no  power  to  accept  it,  Carstairs.  It 
had  to  be  referred  to  the  czar  himself." 

"  I  wish  his  majesty  could  see  me  then,"  Charlie  laughed. 
"  He  would  see  that  I  am  but  a  lad,  and  that  my  release 
would  not  greatly  strengthen  the  Swedish  army." 

"  But  then  the  czar  may  be  of  opinion  that  none  of  his 
officers  who  allowed  themselves  to  be  captured  by  a  handful 
of  men  at  Narva  would  be  of  any  use  to  him,"  Dr.  Michaeloff 
laughed. 

"That  may,  doubtless,  be  said  of  a  good  many  among 
them,"  Charlie  said,  "but  individually  none  of  the  cap- 
tains could  be  blamed  for  the  mess  they  made  of  it." 


EXCHANGED  127 

"  Perhaps  not,  but  if  all  the  men  had  been  panic-stricken, 
there  were  officers  enough  to  have  gathered  together  and 
cut  their  way  through  the  Swedes." 

"No  doubt  there  were;  but  you  must  remember,  Dr. 
Michaeloff,  that  an  officer's  place  is  with  his  company,  and 
that  it  is  his  duty  to  think  of  his  men  before  thinking  of 
himself.  Supposing  all  the  officers  of  the  left  wing,  as  you 
say,  had  gathered  together  and  cut  their  way  out,  the  czar 
would  have  had  a  right  to  blame  them  for  the  capture  of 
the  whole  of  the  men.  How  could  they  tell  that  at  day- 
break the  general  would  not  have  given  orders  for  the  left 
wing  to  attack  the  Swedes?  They  were  strong  enough  still 
to  have  eaten  us  up  had  they  made  the  effort,  and  had  the 
czar  been  there  in  person  I  will  warrant  he  would  have 
tried  it." 

"That  he  would,"  Dr.  Michaeloff  said  warmly.  "You 
are  right  there,  young  sir.  The  czar  may  not  be  a  soldier, 
but  at  least  he  is  a  man,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said 
for  the  officer  who  ordered  sixty  thousand  men  to  lay  down 
their  arms  to  eight  thousand." 

"I  am  sure  of  that,"  Charlie  said.  "A  man  who  would 
do  as  he  has  done,  leave  his  kingdom  and  work  like  a  com- 
mon man  in  dockyards  to  learn  how  to  build  ships,  and  who 
rules  his  people  as  he  does,  must  be  a  great  man.  I  don't 
suppose  he  would  do  for  us  in  England,  because  a  king  has 
no  real  power  with  us,  and  Peter  would  never  put  up  with 
being  thwarted  in  all  his  plans  by  parliament  as  William  is. 
But  for  a  counrty  like  Russia  he  is  wonderful.  Of  course, 
our  company  being  composed  of  Scotchmen  and  English- 
men, we  have  no  prejudices  against  him.  We  think  him 
wrong  for  entering  upon  this  war  against  Sweden,  but  we 
all  consider  him  a  wonderful  fellow,  just  the  sort  of  fellow 
one  would  be  proud  to  serve  under  if  we  did  not  serve 
under  Charles  of  Sweden.  Well,  Dr.  Kelly,  when  do  you 
think  the  czar  will  be  here?  " 


128  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  doctor  did  not  reply,  but  Michaeloff  said  quietly, 
"He  arrived  this  afternoon." 

"He  did!"  Charlie  exclaimed  excitedly.  "Why  did 
you  not  tell  me  before,  Dr.  Kelly?  Has  he  been  asked 
about  my  exchange,  and  is  the  Swedish  officer  still  here?  " 

"  He  is  here,  and  you  will  be  exchanged  in  the  morning. 
I  have  other  things  to  see  about  now,  and  must  say  good- 
night; and  if  you  should  ever  fall  into  the  hands  of  our 
people  again,  and  Dr.  Kelly  does  not  happen  to  be  near,  ask 
for  Peter  Michaeloff,  and  he  will  do  all  he  can  for  you." 

"Then  I  am  really  to  be  exchanged  to-morrow,  doctor?" 
Charlie  said  as  Dr.  Michaeloff  left  the  room. 

"It  seems  like  it." 

"  But  did  not  you  know?  " 

"  No,  I  had  heard  nothing  for  certain.  I  knew  the  czar 
had  come,  but  I  had  not  heard  of  his  decision.  I  congratu- 
late you." 

"It  is  a  piece  of  luck,"  Charlie  said.  "I  thought  it 
might  be  months  before  there  was  an  exchange.  It  is  very 
good  of  the  king  to  send  over  so  quickly." 

"Yes;  and  of  the  czar  to  let  you  go." 

"Well,  I  don't  see  much  in  that,  doctor,  considering  that 
he  gets  a  captain  in  exchange  for  me;  still,  of  course,  he 
might  have  refused.  It  would  not  have  been  civil,  but  he 
might  have  done  it." 

"What  did  you  think  of  my  friend,  Charlie?  " 

"I  like  him;  he  has  a  pleasant  face,  though  I  should 
think  he  has  got  a  temper  of  his  own.  He  has  a  splendid 
figure,  and  looks  more  like  a  fighting  man  than  a  doctor. 
I  will  write  down  his  name  so  as  not  to  forget  it,  as  he  says 
he  might  be  able  to  help  me  if  I  am  ever  taken  prisoner 
again  and  you  did  not  happen  to  be  with  the  army.  It  is 
always  nice  having  a  friend;  look  at  the  difference  it  has 
made  to  me  finding  a  countryman  here." 

"Yes,  you  may  find  it  useful,  Carstairs;  and  he  has  a 


EXCHANGED  129 

good  deal  of  influence.  Still  I  think  it  probable  that  if 
you  ever  should  get  into  a  scrape  again  you  will  be  able  to 
get  tidings  of  me,  for  I  am  likely  to  be  with  the  advanced 
division  of  our  army  wherever  it  is,  as  I  am  in  charge  of  its 
hospitals.  You  had  better  turn  in  now, 'for  I  suppose  you 
will  be  starting  early,  and  I  have  two  or  three  patients  I 
must  visit  again  before  I  go  to  bed.  This  is  your  room 
next  to  mine,  I  managed  after  all  to  get  it  changed." 

"That  is  very  good  of  you,  doctor,  but  it  really  would  not 
have  mattered  a  bit  for  one  night.  It  does  look  snug  and 
warm  with  that  great  fire." 

"Yes,  the  stoves  are  the  one  thing  I  don't  like  in  Russia. 
I  like  to  see  a  blazing  fire,  and  the  first  thing  I  do  when  I 
get  into  fresh  quarters  is  to  have  the  stove  opened  so  that 
I  can  see  one.  This  is  a  second  room  of  mine.  There 
were  three  together,  you  see,  and  as  my  rank  is  that  of  a 
colonel  I  was  able  to  get  them,  and  it  is  handy  if  a  friend 
comes  to  see  me  to  have  a  room  for  him." 

An  hour  later,  just  as  Charlie  was  dozing  off  to  sleep,  the 
doctor  put  his  head  in  to  the  door.  "You  are  to  start  at 
daybreak,  Carstairs.  My  ser\^ant  will  call  you  an  hour  be- 
fore that.  I  shall  be  up;  I  must  put  a  fresh  bandage  on 
your  head  before  you  start." 

"Thank  you  very  much,  doctor;  I  am  sorry  to  get  you 
up  so  early." 

"That  is  nothing;  I  am  accustomed  to  work  at  all  hours. 
Good-night." 

At  eight  o'clock,  having  had  a  bowl  of  broth,  Charlie 
descended  to  the  court-yard  in  charge  of  an  officer  and  two 
soldiers,  the  doctor  accompanying  him.  Here  he  found  a 
Swedish  officer  belonging  to  the  king's  personal  staff.  The 
Russian  handed  the  lad  formally  over  to  his  charge,  saying, 
"By  the  orders  of  the  czar,  I  now  exchange  Ensign  Car- 
stairs  for  Captain  Potoff,  whom  you  on  your  part  en^^age  to 
send  off  at  once."  ^ 


130  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"I  do,"  the  Swede  said;  "that  is,  I  engage  that  he  shall 
be  sent  off  as  soon  as  he  can  be  fetched  from  Revel,  where 
he  is  now  interned,  and  shall  be  safely  delivered  under  an 
escort;  and  that  if  either  by  death,  illness,  or  escape  I 
should  not  be  able  to  hand  him  over,  I  will  return  another 
officer  of  the  same  rank." 

"I  have  the  czar's  commands, "  the  Russian  went  on,  "to 
express  his  regret  that,  owing  to  a  mistake  on  the  part  of 
the  officer  commanding  here.  Ensign  Carstairs  has  not 
received  such  worthy  treatment  as  the  czar  would  have 
desired  for  him,  but  he  has  given  stringent  orders  that  in 
future  any  Swedish  officers  who  may  be  taken  prisoners 
shall  receive  every  comfort  and  hospitality  that  can  be 
shown  them." 

"Good-bye,  Doctor  Kelly,"  Charlie  said  as  he  mounted 
his  horse,  which  had  been  saddled  in  readiness  for  him. 
"  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  your  very  great  kindness 
to  me,  and  hope  that  I  may  some  day  have  an  opportunity 
of  repaying  it." 

"  I  hope  not,  Carstairs.  I  trust  that  we  may  meet  again, 
but  hope  that  I  sha'n't  be  in  the  position  of  a  prisoner. 
However,  strange  things  have  happened  already  in  this  war, 
and  there  is  no  saying  how  fortune  may  go.  Good-bye, 
and  a  pleasant  journey." 

A  Russian  officer  took  his  place  by  the  side  of  the  Swede, 
and  an  escort  of  twenty  troopers  rode  behind  them  as  they 
trotted  out  through  the  gate  of  the  convent. 

"It  was  very  kind  of  the  king  to  send  for  me,"  Charlie 
said  to  the  Swede,  "  and  I  am  really  sorry  that  you  should 
have  had  so  long  a  ride  on  my  account,  Captain  Prado- 
vich." 

"As  to  that  it  is  a  trifle,"  the  officer  said;  "if  I  had  not 
been  riding  here  I  should  be  riding  with  the  king  else- 
where, so  that  I  am  none  the  worse.  But  in  truth  I  am 
glad  I  came,  for  yesterday  evening  I  saw  the  czar  himself. 


EXCHANGED  ±S1 

I  conversed  with  him  for  some  time.  He  expressed  him- 
self very  courteously  with  respect  to  the  king  and  to  our 
army,  against  whom  he  seems  to  bear  no  sort  of  malice  for 
the  defeat  we  inflicted  on  him  at  Narva.  He  spoke  of  it 
himself,  and  said,  'you  will  see  that  some  day  we  shall 
turn  the  tables  upon  you.'  The  king  will  be  pleased  when 
I  return  with  you,  for  we  all  feared  that  you  might  be  very 
badly  hurt.  All  that  we  knew  was  that  some  of  your  men 
had  seen  you  cut  down.  After  the  battle  was  over  a 
search  was  made  for  your  body.  When  it  could  not  be 
found,  questions  were  asked  of  some  of  our  own  men,  and 
some  wounded  Russians  who  were  lying  near  the  spot  where 
you  had  been  seen  to  fall. 

"Our  men  had  seen  nothing,  for  as  the  Russians  closed 
in  behind  your  company  as  it  advanced  they  had  shut  their 
eyes  and  lay  as  if  dead,  fearing  that  they  might  be  run 
through  as  they  lay  by  the  Cossack  lances.  The  Russians, 
however,  told  us  that  they  had  seen  two  of  the  Cossacks 
dismount  by  the  orders  of  one  of  their  officers,  lift  you  on 
to  a  horse,  and  ride  off  with  you.  There  was  therefore  a 
certainty  that  you  were  still  living,  for  the  Russians  would 
assuredly  not  have  troubled  to  carry  off  a  dead  body.  His 
majesty  interested  himself  very  much  in  the  matter,  and 
yesterday  morning  sent  me  off  to  inquire  if  you  were  alive, 
and  if  so,  to  propose  an  exchange.  I  was  much  pleased 
when  I  reached  Plescow  yesterday  to  learn  that  your  wound 
is  not  a  serious  one.  I  saw  the  doctor,  who,  I  found,  was 
a  countryman  of  yours,  and  he  assured  me  that  it  was  noth- 
ing, and  made  some  joke  that  I  did  not  understand  about 
the  thickness  of  North  Country  skulls. 

"The  czar  arrived  in  the  afternoon,  but  I  did  not  see 
him  until  late  in  the  evening,  when  I  was  sent  for.  I  found 
him  with  the  general  in  command,  and  several  other  offi- 
cers, among  whom  was  your  friend  the  doctor.  The  czar 
was  at  first  in  a  furious  passion.     He  abused  the  general 


132  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

right  and  left,  and  I  almost  thought  at  one  time  that  he 
would   have   struck  him.     He   told  him  that  he  had  dis- 
graced the  Russian  name  by  not  treating  you  with  proper 
hospitality,  and  especially  by  placing  you  in  a  miserable 
cell  without  a  fire.     'What  will  the  King  of  Sweden  think?  ' 
he  said.     'He  treats  his  prisoners  with  kindness  and  cour- 
tesy, and  after  Narva  gave  them  a  banquet,  at  which  he 
himself  was  present.  The  Duke  of  Croy  writes  to  me  to  say 
he  is  treated  as  an  honoured  guest  rather  than  as  a  prisoner, 
and  here  you  disgrace  us  by  shutting  your  prisoner  in  a 
cheerless  cell,  although  he   is  wounded,  and   giving   him 
food  such  as  you  might  give  to  a  common  soldier.     The 
Swedes  will  think  that  we  are  barbarians.     You  are  released 
from  your  command,  and  will  at  once  proceed  to  Moscow 
and  report  yourself  there,  when  a  post  will  be  assigned  to 
you  where  you  will  have  no  opportunity  of  showing  yourself 
ignorant  of  the  laws  of  courtesy.     Doctor,'  he  went  on, 
'you  will   remember  that  all  prisoners,  officers  and  men, 
will  be  henceforth  under  the  charge  of  the  medical  depart- 
ment, and  that  you  have  full  authority  to  make  such  ar- 
rangements as  you  may  think  necessary  for  their  comfort 
and  honourable  treatment.     I  will  not  have  Russia  made 
a  by-word  among  civilized  peoples.'     Then  he  dismissed 
the  rest  of  them,  and  afterwards  sat  down  and  chatted  with 
me,  just  as  if  we  had  been  of  the  same  rank,  puffing  a  pipe 
furiously,  and  drinking  amazing-quantities  of  wine;  indeed 
my  head  feels  the  effects  of  it  this  morning,  although  I  was 
quite  unable  to  drink  cup  for  cup  with  him,   for  had  I 
done  so  I  should  have  been  under  the  table  long  before  -he 
rose  from  it,  seemingly  quite  unmoved  by  the  quantity  he 
had  drank.     I  have  no  doubt  he  summoned  me  especially 
to  hear  his  rebuke  to  the  general,  so  that  I  could  take  word 
to  the  king  how  earnest  he  was  in  his  regrets  for  your 
treatment." 

"There  was  nothing  much  to  complain  of,"  Charlie  said; 


IT    IS    AS    MUCH    AS    I    CAN    DO    TO    KEEP    MY    SADDLE." 


EXCHANGED  133 

"and,  indeed,  the  cell  was  a  palace  after  the  miserable 
huts  in  which  we  have  passed  the  winter.  I  am  glad, 
however,  the  czar  gave  the  general  a  wigging,  for  he  spoke 
brutally  to  me  on  my  arrival.  You  may  be  sure  now  that 
any  prisoners  that  may  be  taken  will  be  well  treated;  for 
Doctor  Kelly,  who  has  been  extremely  kind  to  me,  will 
certainly  take  good  care  of  them.  As  to  my  wound,  it  is 
of  little  consequence.  It  fell  on  my  steel  cap,  and  I  think 
I  was  stunned  by  its  force  rather  than  rendered  insensible 
by  the  cut  itself." 

After  three  hours'  riding  they  came  to  a  village.  As 
soon  as  they  were  seen  approaching  there  was  a  stir  there. 
A  man  riding  ahead  waved  the  white  flag  that  he  carried, 
and  when  they  entered  the  village  they  found  a  party  of 
fifty  Swedish  cavalry  in  the  saddle.  The  Russian  escort, 
as  soon  as  the  Swedish  officer  and  Charlie  had  joined  their 
friends,  turned  and  rode  off.  A  meal  was  in  readiness, 
and  when  Charlie,  who  was  still  feeling  somewhat  weak 
from  the  effects  of  his  wound,  had  partaken  of  it,  the  party 
proceeded  on  their  way,  and  rode  into  Marienburg  before 
nightfall.  Two  or  three  miles  outside  the  town  they  met 
Harry  Jervoise.  Two  soldiers  had  been  sent  on  at  full 
speed  directly  Charlie  reached  the  village,  to  report  that  he 
had  arrived  there  and  was  not  seriously  wounded,  and  know- 
ing about  the  time  they  would  arrive,  Harry  had  ridden 
out  to  meet  his  friend. 

"You  are  looking  white,"  he  said  after  the  first  hearty 
greeting. 

"  I  am  feeling  desperately  tired,  Harry.  The  wound  is 
of  no  consequence,  but  I  lost  a  good  deal  of  blood,  and  it 
is  as  much  as  I  can  do  to  keep  my  saddle,  though  we  have 
been  coming  on  quietly  on  purpose.  However,  I  shall 
soon  be  all  right  again,  and  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  am 
heartily  glad  to  be  back." 

"  We  have  all  been  in  a  great  way  about  you,  Charlie, 


134  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

for  we  made  sure  that  you  were  very  badly  wounded.  I 
can  tell  you  it  was  a  relief  when  the  men  rode  in  three 
hours  ago  with  the  news  that  you  had  arrived,  and  were  not 
badly  hurt.  The  men  seemed  as  pleased  as  we  were,  and 
there  was  a  loud  burst  of  cheering  when  we  told  them  the 
news.  Cunningham  and  Forbes  would  have  ridden  out 
with  me ;  but  Cunningham  is  on  duty,  and  Forbes  thought 
that  we  should  like  to  have  a  chat  together." 

On  his  arrival  Charlie  was  heartily  welcomed  by  Captain 
Jervoise  and  the  men  of  the  company,  who  cheered  lustily 
as  he  rode  up. 

"You  are  to  go  and  see  the  king  at  once,"  Captain  Jer- 
voise said  as  he  dismounted.  "  I  believe  he  wants  to  hear 
especially  how  you  were  treated.  Make  the  best  of  it  you 
can,  lad;  there  is  no  occasion  for  the  feeling  of  Charles 
against  the  Russians  being  embittered." 

"I  understand,"  Charlie  said;  "I  will  make  things  as 
smooth  as  I  can." 

He  walked  quickly  to  the  little  house  where  the  king  had 
taken  up  his  quarters.  There  was  no  sentry  at  the  door, 
or  other  sign  that  the  house  contained  an  occupant  of 
special  rank.  He  knocked  at  the  door,  and  hearing  a 
shout  of  "Enter,"  opened  it  and  went  in. 

"Ah,  my  young  ensign;  is  it  you?  "  the  king  said,  rising 
from  a  low  settle  on  which  he  was  sitting  by  the  fire,  talk- 
ing with  Colonel  Schlippenbach. 

"  Hurt  somewhat,  I  see,  but  not  badly,  I  hope.  I  was 
sure  that  you  would  not  have  been  taken  prisoner  unless 
you  had  been  injured." 

"  I  was  cut  down  by  a  blow  that  clove  my  helmet,  your 
majesty,  and  stunned  me  for  some  time;  but  beyond  mak- 
ing a  somewhat  long  gash  on  my  skull,  it  did  me  no  great 
harm." 

"  That  speaks  well  for  the  thickness  of  your  skull,  lad, 
and  I  am  heartily  glad  it  is  no  worse.  Now,  tell  me,  how 
did  they  treat  you?" 


EXCHANGED  135 

"It  was  a  somewhat  rough  cell  into  which  I  was  thrown, 
sir,  but  I  was  most  kindly  tended  by  an  Irish  doctor  high 
in  the  czar's  service,  and  when  the  czar  himself  arrived 
and  learned  that  I  had  not  been  lodged  as  well  as  he 
thought  necessary,  I  hear  he  was  so  angered  that  he  dis- 
graced the  general,  deprived  him  of  his  command,  and 
sent  him  to  take  charge  of  some  fortress  in  the  interior  of 
Russia,  and  I  was  by  his  orders  allowed  to  occupy  the 
doctor's  quarters,  and  a  bed-room  was  assigned  to  me  next 
to  his.  I  heard  that  the  czar  spoke  in  terms  of  the  warm- 
est appreciation  of  your  treatment  of  your  prisoners,  and 
said  that  any  of  your  officers  who  fell  into  his  hands  should 
be  treated  with  equal  courtesy." 

Charles  looked  gratified.  "I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  he 
said.  "In  the  field,  if  necessary,  blood  must  flow  like 
water,  but  th'^re  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  behave 
towards  each  other  with  courtesy  when  the  fighting  is  over. 
You  know  nothing  of  the  force  there  at  present?  " 

"No,  sir,  I  heard  nothing.  I  did  not  exchange  a  word 
with  anyone  save  the  doctor  and  another  medical  maa; 
and  as  the  former  treated  me  as  a  friend  rather  than  as  an 
enemy,  I  did  not  deem  it  right  to  question  him,  and  had  I 
done  so  I  am  sure  that  he  would  have  given  me  no  answer." 

"  Well,  you  can  return  to  your  quarters,  sir.  Your  com- 
pany did  me  good  ser^'ice  in  that  fight,  and  Colonel  Schlip- 
penbach  did  not  speak  in  any  way  too  warmly  in  their 
favour.  I  would  that  I  had  more  of  these  brave  English- 
men and  Scotchmen  in  my  ser\dce." 

Charlie's  head,  however,  was  not  as  hard  as  he  had  be- 
lieved it  to  be;  and  the  long  ride  brought  on  inflammation 
of  the  wound,  so  that  on  the  following  morning  he  was  in 
a  high  state  of  fever.  It  was  a  fortnight  before  he  was 
convalescent,  and  the  surgeon  then  recommended  that  he 
should  have  rest  and  quiet  for  a  time,  as  he  was  sorely 
pulled  down  and  unfit  to  bear  the  hardships  of  a  campaign; 


136  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

and  it  was  settled  that  he  should  go  down  with  the  next 
convoy  to  Revel,  and  thence  take  ship  for  Sweden.  He 
was  so  weak,  that  although  very  sorry  to  leave  the  army 
just  as  spring  was  commencing,  he  himself  felt  that  he 
should  be  unable  to  support  the  fatigues  of  the  campaign 
until  he  had  had  entire  rest  and  change.  A  few  hours 
after  the  decision  of  the  surgeon  had  been  given.  Major 
Jamieson  and  Captain  Jervoise  entered  the  room  where  he 
was  sitting,  propped  up  by  pillows. 

"I  have  a  bit  of  news  that  will  please  you,  Charlie.  The 
king  sent  for  the  major  this  morning,  and  told  him  that 
he  intended  to  increase  our  company  to  a  regiment  if  he 
could  do  so.  He  had  heard  that  a  considerable  number  of 
Scotchmen  and  Englishmen  had  come  over,  and  were  de- 
sirous of  enlisting,  but  from  their  ignorance  of  the  lan- 
guage their  services  had  been  declined.  He  said  that  he 
was  so  pleased  not  only  with  the  conduct  of  the  company 
in  that  fight,  but  with  its  discipline,  physique,  and  power 
of  endurance,  that  he  had  decided  to  convert  it  into  a  regi- 
jnent.  He  said  he  was  sorry  to  lose  its  services  for  a 
time;  but  as  we  lost  twenty  men  in  the  fight,  and  have 
some  fifteen  still  too  disabled  to  take  their  places  in  the 
ranks,  this  was  of  the  less  importance.  So  we  are  all  going 
to  march  down  to  Revel  with  you.  Major  Jamieson  is 
appointed  colonel,  and  I  am  promoted  to  be  major;  the 
king  himself  directed  that  Cunningham  and  Forbes  shall 
have  commissions  as  captains,  and  you  and  Harry  as  lieu- 
tenants. The  colonel  has  authority  given  him  to  nominate 
Scotch  and  English  gentlemen  of  good  name  to  make  up 
the  quota  of  officers,  while  most  of  our  own  men  will  be 
appointed  non-commissioned  officers  to  drill  the  new 
recruits.  The  king  has  been  good  enough  at  Colonel 
Jamieson' s  request  to  say,  that  as  soon  as  the  regiment  is 
raised  and  organized,  it  shall  be  sent  up  to  the  front." 

"That  is  good  news,  indeed,"  Charlie  said  with  more 


EXCHANGED  137 

animation  than  he  had  evinced  since  his  illness.  "  I  have 
been  so  accustomed  to  be  attended  to  in  every  way  that  I 
was  quite  looking  forward  with  dread  to  the  journey  among 
strangers;  still,  if  you  are  all  going,  it  will  be  a  different 
thing  altogether.  I  don't  think  you  will  be  long  in  raising 
the  regiment.  We  only  were  a  week  in  getting  the  com- 
pany together,  and  if  they  have  been  refusing  to  accept 
the  services  of  our  people,  there  must  be  numbers  of  them 
at  Gottenburg." 

Early  on  the  following  morning  Charlie  and  the  men 
unable  to  march  were  placed  in  waggons,  and  the  company 
started  on  its  march  to  Revel.  It  was  a  heavy  journey,  for 
the  frost  had  broken  up  and  the  roads  were  in  a  terrible 
state  from  the  heavy  trafific  passing.  There  was  no  delay 
when  they  reached  the  port,  as  they  at  once  marched  on 
board  a  ship,  which  was  the  next  day  to  start  for  Sweden. 
Orders  from  the  king  had  already  been  received  that  the 
company  was  to  be  conveyed  direct  to  Gottenburg,  and  they 
entered  the  port  on  the  fifth  day  after  sailing.  The  change, 
the  sea  air,  and  the  prospect  of  seeing  his  father  again 
greatly  benefited  Charlie,  and  while  the  company  was 
marched  to  a  large  building  assigned  to  their  use,  he  was 
able  to  make  his  way  on  foot  to  his  father's,  assisted  by  his 
soldier-servant  Jock  Armstrong. 

"Why,  Charlie,"  Sir  jMarmaduke  Carstairs  exclaimed  as 
he  entered,  "who  would  have  thought  of  seeing  you?  You 
are  looking  ill,  lad;  ill  and  weak.  What  has  happened  to 
you?" 

Charlie  briefly  related  the  events  that  had  brought  about 
his  return  to  Gottenburg,  of  which  Sir  Marmaduke  was 
entirely  ignorant.  Postal  communications  were  rare  and 
uncertain,  and  Captain  Jervoise  had  not  taken  advantage  of 
the  one  opportunity  that  offered  after  Charlie  had  been 
wounded,  thinking  it  better  to  delay  till  the  lad  could  write 
and  give  a  good  account  of  himself. 


138  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"  So  Jervoise,  and  his  son,  and  that  good  fellow  Jamie- 
son  are  all  back  again?  That  is  good  news,  Charlie;  and 
you  have  been  promoted?  That  is  capital  too,  after  only 
a  year  in  the  service.  And  you  have  been  wounded,  and  a 
prisoner  among  the  Russians?  You  have  had  adventures 
indeed  !  I  was  terribly  uneasy  when  the  first  news  of  that 
wonderful  victory  at  Narva  came,  for  we  generally  have  to 
wait  for  the  arrival  of  the  despatches  giving  the  lists  of  the 
killed  and  wounded.  I  saw  that  the  regiment  had  not  been 
in  the  thick  of  it,  as  the  lists  contained  none  of  your  names. 
I  would  have  given  a  limb  to  have  taken  part  in  that  won- 
derful battle.  When  you  get  as  old  as  I  am,  my  boy,  you 
will  feel  a  pride  in  telling  how  you  fought  at  Narva,  and 
helped  to  destroy  an  entire  Russian  army  with  the  odds  ten 
to  one  against  you.  Of  course  you  will  stay  here  with  me; 
I  suppose  you  have  leave  at  present?  " 

"Yes,  father,  Colonel  Jamieson  told  me  that  my  first 
duty  was  to  get  strong  and  well  again,  and  that  I  was  to 
think  of  no  other  until  I  had  performed  that.  And  how 
have  you  been  getting  on,  father?  " 

"Very  well,  lad.  I  don't  pretend  that  it  is  not  a  great 
change  from  Lynnwood,  but  I  get  along  very  well,  and 
thank  heaven  daily  that  for  so  many  years  I  had  set  aside 
a  portion  of  my  rents,  little  thinking  that  the  time  would 
come  when  they  would  prove  my  means  of  existence.  My 
friends  here  have  invested  the  money  for  me,  and  it  bears 
good  interest,  which  is  punctually  paid.  With  the  English 
and  Scotch  exiles  I  have  as  much  society  as  I  care  for,  and 
as  I  find  I  am  able  to  keep  a  horse, — for  living  here  is  not 
more  than  half  the  cost  that  it  would  be  in  England, — I 
am  well  enough  contented  with  my  lot.  There  is  but  one 
thing  that  pricks  me :  that  villain  John  Dormay  has,  as  he 
schemed  for,  obtained  possession  of  my  estates,  and  has 
been  knighted  for  his  distinguished  services  to  the  king. 
I.  heard  of  this  some  time  since,  by  a  letter  from  one  of  our 


EXCHANGED  139 

Jacobite  friends  to  whom  I  wrote  asking  for  news.  He  says 
that  the  new  knight  has  no  great  cause  for  enjoyment  in  his 
dignity  and  possessions,  because,  not  only  do  the  Jacobite 
gentry  turn  their  backs  upon  him  when  they  meet  him  in 
the  town,  but  the  better  class  of  Whigs  hold  altogether 
aloof  from  him,  regarding  his  elevation  at  the  expense  of 
his  wife's  kinsman  to  be  disgraceful,  although  of  course 
they  have  no  idea  of  the  evil  plot  by  which  he  brought 
about  my  ruin.  There  is  great  pity  expressed  for  his  wife, 
who  has  not  once  stirred  beyond  the  grounds  at  Lynnwood 
since  he  took  her  there,  and  who  is,  they  say,  a  shadow  of 
her  former  self.  Ciceley,  he  hears,  is  well.  That  cub  of 
a  son  is  in  London,  and  there  are  reports  that  he  is  very 
wild,  and  puts  his  father  to  much  cost.  As  to  the  man 
himself,  they  say  he  is  surrounded  by  the  lowest  knaves, 
and  it  is  rumoured  that  he  has  taken  to  drink  for  want  of 
better  company.  It  is  some  comfort  to  me  to  think,  that 
although  the  villain  has  my  estates  he  is  getting  no  enjoy- 
ment out  of  them.  However,  I  hope  some  day  to  have  a 
reckoning  with  him.  The  Stuarts  must  come  to  their  own 
sooner  or  later,  until  then  I  am  content  to  rest  quietly  here 
in  Sweden." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    PASSAGE   OF   THE   DWINA 

A  FEW  hours  after  Charlie's  arrival  home,  Major  Jer- 
-^   voise  and  Harry  came  round  to  the  house. 

"I  congratulate  you,  Jervoise,  on  your  new  rank,"  Sir 
Marmaduke  said  heartily  as  he  entered;  "and  you  too, 
Harry.  It  has  been  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  know  that 
you  and  Charlie  have  been  together  always.  At  present 
you  have  the  advantage  of  him  in  looks.  My  lad  has  no 
more  strength  than  a  girl,  not  half  the  strength,  indeed,  of 
many  of  these  sturdy  Swedish  maidens." 

"Yes,  Charlie  has  had  a  bad  bout  of  it,  Carstairs,"  Major 
Jervoise  said  cheerfully;  "but  he  has  picked  up  wonder- 
fully in  the  last  ten  days,  and  in  as  many  more  I  shall  look 
to  see  him  at  work  again.  I  only  wish  that  you  could  have 
been  with  us,  old  friend." 

"It  is  of  no  use  wishing,  Jervoise.  We  have  heard 
enough  here  of  what  the  troops  have  been  suffering  through 
the  winter,  for  me  to  know  that  if  I  had  had  my  wish  and 
gone  with  you,  my  bones  would  now  be  lying  somewhere 
under  the  soil  of  Livonia." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  hard  time,"  Major  Jervoise  agreed,  "but 
we  all  got  through  it  well,  thanks  principally  to  our  turning 
to  at  sports  of  all  kinds.  These  kept  the  men  in  health  and 
prevented  them  from  moping.     The  king  was  struck  with 

140 


THE    PASSAGE    OF   THE    DWINA  141 

the  condition  of  our  company,  and  he  has  ordered  that  in 
future  all  the  Swedish  troops  shall  take  part  in  such  games 
and  amusements  when  in  winter-quarters.  Of  course, 
Charlie  has  told  you  we  are  going  to  have  a  regiment 
entirely  composed  of  Scots  and  Englishmen.  I  put  the 
Scots  first,  since  they  will  be  by  far  the  most  numerous. 
There  are  always  plenty  of  active  spirits  who  find  but  small 
opening  for  their  energy  at  home,  and  are  ready  to  take 
foreign  service  whenever  the  chance  opens.  Besides,  there 
are  always  feuds  there.  In  the  old  days  it  was  chief  against 
chief,  now  it  is  religion  against  religion;  and  now  as  then 
there  are  numbers  of  young  fellows  glad  to  exchange  the 
troubles  at  home  for  service  abroad.  There  have  been 
quite  a  crowd  of  men  round  our  quarters,  for  directly  the 
news  spread  that  the  company  was  landing,  our  countrymen 
flocked  round,  each  eager  to  learn  how  many  vacancies 
there  were  in  the  ranks,  and  whether  we  would  receive 
recruits.  Their  joy  was  extreme  when  it  became  known 
that  Jamieson  had  authority  to  raise  a  whole  regiment.  I 
doubt  not  that  many  of  the  poor  fellows  are  in  great 
straits." 

"That  I  can  tell  you  they  are,"  Sir  Marmaduke  broke  in. 
"We  have  been  doing  what  we  can  for  them,  for  it  was 
grievous  that  so  many  men  should  be  wandering  without 
means  or  employment  in  a  strange  country.  But  the 
number  was  too  great  for  our  money  to  go  far  among  them, 
and  I  know  that  many  of  them  are  destitute  and  well-nigh 
star\'ing.  We  had  hoped  to  ship  some  of  them  back  to 
Scotland,  and  have  been  treating  with  the  captain  of  a 
vessel  sailing  in  two  or  three  days  to  carry  them  home." 

"It  is  unfortunate,  but  they  have  none  to  blame  but 
themselves.  They  should  have  waited  until  an  invitation 
for  foreigners  to  enlist  was  issued  by  the  Swedish  govern- 
ment, or  until  gentlemen  of  birth  raised  companies  and 
regiments  for  service  here.     However,  we  are  the  gainers, 


142  A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

for  I  see  that  we  shall  not  have  to  wait  here  many  weeks. 
Already,  as  far  as  I  can  judge  from  what  I  hear,  there  must 
be  well-nigh  four  hundred  men  here,  all  eager  to  serve. 
We  will  send  the  news  by  the  next  ship  that  sails,  both  to 
Scotland  and  to  our  own  country,  that  men,  active  and 
fit  for  service,  can  be  received  into  a  regiment,  specially 
formed  of  English-speaking  soldiers.  I  will  warrant  that 
when  it  is  known  in  the  Fells  that  I  am  a  major  in  the 
regiment,  and  that  your  son  and  mine  are  lieutenants,  we 
shall  have  two  or  three  score  of  stout  young  fellows  coming 
over." 

The  next  day,  indeed,  nearly  four  hundred  men  were 
enlisted  into  the  sei-vice,  and  were  divided  into  eight  com- 
panies. Each  of  these,  when  complete,  was  to  be  two 
hundred  strong.  Six  Scottish  officers  were  transferred 
from  Swedish  regiments  to  fill  up  the  list  of  captains,  and 
commissions  were  given  to  several  gentlemen  of  family  as 
lieutenants  and  ensigns.  Most  of  these,  however,  were 
held  over,  as  the  colonel  wrote  to  many  gentlemen  of  his 
acquaintance  in  Scotland  offering  them  commissions  if  they 
would  raise  and  bring  over  men.  Major  Jervoise  did  the 
same  to  half  a  dozen  young  Jacobite  gentlemen  in  the  north 
of  England,  and  so  successful  were  the  appeals  that,  within 
two  months  of  the  return  of  the  company  to  Gottenburg, 
the  regiment  had  been  raised  to  its  full  strength.  A  fort- 
night was  spent  in  drilling  the  last  batch  of  recruits  from 
morning  till  night,  so  that  they  should  be  able  to  take  their 
places  in  the  ranks,  and  then  with  drums  beating  and 
colours  flying  the  corps  embarked  at  Gottenburg,  and  sailed 
to  join  the  army. 

They  arrived  at  Revel  in  the  beginning  of  May.  The 
port  was  full  of  ships,  for  twelve  thousand  men  had 
embarked  at  Stockholm  and  other  ports  to  reinforce  the 
army  and  enable  the  king  to  take  the  field  in  force,  and  by 
the  end  of  the  month  the  greater  portion  of  the  force  was 


THE   PASSAGE   OF  THE   D\VINA  143 

concentrated  at  Dorpt.  Charlie  had  long  since  regained 
his  full  strength.  As  soon  as  he  was  fit  for  duty  he  had 
rejoined,  and  had  been  engaged  early  and  late  in  the  work 
of  drilling  the  recruist,  and  in  the  general  organization  of 
the  regiment.  He  and  Harry,  however,  found  time  to  take 
part  in  any  amusement  that  was  going  on.  They  were 
made  welcome  in  the  houses  of  the  principal  merchants 
and  other  residents  of  Gottenburg,  and  much  enjoyed 
their  stay  in  the  town,  in  spite  of  their  longing  to  be 
back  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  early  operations  of  the 
campaign. 

When  they  sailed  into  the  port  of  Revel  they  found  that 
the  campaign  had  but  just  commenced,  and  they  marched 
with  all  haste  to  join  the  force  with  which  the  king  was 
advancing  against  the  Saxons,  who  were  still  besieging 
Riga.  Their  army  was  commanded  by  Marshal  Steinau, 
and  was  posted  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  Dvvina,  a 
broad  stream.  Charles  XH.  had  ridden  up  to  Colonel 
Jamieson's  regiment  upon  its  arrival,  and  expressed  warm 
gratification  at  its  appearance  when  it  was  paraded  for  his 
inspection. 

"You  have  done  well  indeed,  colonel,"  he  said.  "I 
had  hardly  hoped  you  could  have  collected  so  fine  a  body 
of  men  in  so  short  a  time."  At  his  request  the  officers 
were  brought  up  and  introduced.  He  spoke  a  few  words 
to  those  he  had  known  before,  saying  to  Charlie : 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  back  again,  lieutenant.  You 
have  quite  recovered  from  that  crack  on  your  crown,  I 
hope.  But  I  need  not  ask,  your  looks  speak  for  them- 
selves. You  have  just  got  back  in  time  to  pay  my  enemies 
back  for  it." 

The  prospect  was  not  a  cheerful  one  when  the  Swedes 
arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Dwina.  The  Saxons  were 
somewhat  superior  in  force,  and  it  would  be  a  desperate 
enterprise  to  cross  the  river  in  the  teeth  of  their  cannon 


144  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

and  musketry.  Already  the  king  had  caused  a  number  of 
large  flat  boats  to  be  constructed;  the  sides  were  made  very 
high  so  as  to  completely  cover  the  troops  from  musketry, 
and  were  hinged  so  as  to  let  down  and  act  as  gangways  and 
facilitate  a  landing.  Charlie  was  standing  on  the  bank 
looking  at  the  movements  of  the  Saxon  troops  across  the 
river,  and  wondering  how  the  passage  was  to  be  effected, 
when  a  hand  was  placed  on  his  shoulder.  Looking  round, 
he  saw  it  was  the  king,  who,  as  was  his  custom,  was  moving 
about  on  foot  unattended  by  any  of  his  officers. 

"Wondering  how  we  are  to  get  across,  lieutenant?  " 

"That  is  just  what  I  was  thinking  over,  your  majesty." 

"We  want  another  snowstorm  as  we  had  at  Narva,"  the 
king  said.  "The  wind  is  blowing  the  right  way,  but  there 
is  no  chance  of  such  another  stroke  of  luck  at  this  time  of 
year." 

"No,  sir;  but  I  was  thinking  that  one  might  make  an 
artificial  fog." 

"How  do  you  mean?  "  the  king  asked  quickly. 

"Your  majesty  has  great  stacks  of  straw  here,  collected 
for  forage  for  the  cattle.  No  doubt  a  good  deal  of  it  is 
damp,  or  if  not,  if  could  be  easily  wetted.  If  we  were  to 
build  great  piles  of  it  all  along  on  the  banks  here,  and  set 
it  alight  so  as  to  burn  very  slowly  but  to  give  out  a  great 
deal  of  smoke,  this  light  wind  would  blow  it  across  the 
river  into  the  faces  of  the  Saxons,  and  completely  cover  our 
movements." 

"You  are  right!  "  the  king  exclaimed.  "Nothing  could 
be  better.  We  will  make  a  smoke  that  will  blind  and  half- 
smother  them; "  and  he  hurried  away.  An  hour  later 
orders  were  sent  out  to  all  the  regiments,  that  as  soon  as  it 
became  dusk  the  men  should  assemble  at  the  great  forage 
stores  for  fatigue  duty.  As  soon  as  they  did  so  they  were 
ordered  to  pull  down  the  stacks  and  to  carry  the  straw  to 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  there  pile  it  in  heavy  masses 


THE    PASSAGE    OF   THE    DWINA  145 

twenty  yards  ajjart.  The  whole  was  to  be  damped,  with 
the  exception  of  only  a  small  quantity  on  the  windward 
side  of  the  heaps,  which  was  to  be  used  for  starting  the 
fire.  In  two  hours  the  work  was  completed.  The  men 
were  then  ordered  to  return  to  their  camps,  have  their 
suppers,  and  lie  down  at  once.  Then  they  were  to  form 
up  half  an  hour  before  daybreak  in  readiness  to  take  their 
places  in  the  boats,  and  were  then  to  lie  down  in  order 
until  the  word  was  given  to  move  forward. 

This  was  done,  and  just  as  the   daylight  appeared  the 
heaps  of  straw  were  lighted,  and  dense  volumes  of  smoke 
rolled   across   the    river,  entirely   obscuring  the    opposite 
shore  from  view.     The  Saxons,  enveloped  in  the  smoke, 
were  unable  to  understand  its   meaning.     Those   on   the 
watch  had  seen  no  sign  of  troops  on  the  bank  before  the 
smoke  began  to  roll  across  the  water,  and  the  general  was 
uncertain  whether  a  great  fire  had  broken  out  in  the  forage 
stores  of  the  Swedes,  or  whether  the  fire  had  been  purposely 
raised  either  to  cover  the   movements  of   the  army  and 
enable  them  to  march  away  and  cross  at  some  undefended 
point,  or  whether  to  cover   their  passage.     The    Swedish 
regiments,  which  were  the  first  to  cross,  took  their  places 
at  once  in  the  boats,  the  king  himself  accompanying  them. 
In  a   quarter  of    an  hour  the  opposite  bank  was  gained. 
Marshal  Steinau,  an  able  general,  had  called  the   Saxons 
under  arms,   and  was  marching  towards  the   river,    when 
the  wind  freshening  lifted  the  thick  veil  of  smoke,  and  he 
saw  that  the  Swedes  had  already  gained  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  at  once  hurled  his  cavalry  against  them. 

The  Swedish  formation  was  not  complete,  and  for  a 
moment  they  were  driven  back  in  disorder  and  forced 
into  the  river.  The  water  was  shallow,  and  the  king  going 
about  among  them,  quickly  restored  order  and  discipline, 
and  charging  in  solid  formation  they  drove  the  cavalry 
back  and  advanced  across  the  plain.     Steinau  recalled  his 


146  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

troops  and  posted  them  in  a  strong  position,  one  flank  be- 
ing covered  by  a  marsh  and  the  other  by  a  wood.  He  had 
time  to  effect  his  arrangements,  as  Charles  was  compelled 
to  wait  until  the  whole  of  his  troops  were  across.  As  soon 
as  they  were  so  he  led  them  against  the  enemy. 

The  battle  was  a  severe  one,  for  the  Swedes  were  unpro- 
vided with  artillery,  and  the  Saxons,  with  the  advantages 
of  position  and  a  powerful  artillery,  fought  steadily. 
Three  times  Marshal  Steinau  led  his  cavalry  in  desperate 
charges,  and  each  time  almost  penetrated  to  the  point 
where  Charles  was  directing  the  movements  of  his  troops; 
but  at  last  he  was  struck  from  his  horse  by  a  blow  from  the 
butt-end  of  a  musket,  and  his  cuirassiers  with  dififiiculty 
carried  him  from  the  field.  As  soon  as  his  fall  became 
known  disorder  spread  among  the  ranks  of  the  Saxons. 
Some  regiments  gave  way,  and  the  Swedes  rushing  forward 
with  loud  shouts,  the  whole  army  was  speedily  in  full  flight. 
This  victory  laid  the  whole  of  Courland  at  the  mercy  of 
the  Swedes,  all  the  towns  opening  their  gates  at  their 
approach. 

They  were  now  on  the  confines  of  Poland,  and  the  king, 
brave  to  rashness  as  he  was,  hesitated  to  attack  a  nation 
so  powerful.  Poland  at  that  time  was  a  country  a  little 
larger  than  France,  though  with  a  somewhat  smaller  popu- 
lation, but  in  this  respect  exceeding  Sweden.  With  the 
Poles  themselves  he  had  no  quarrel,  for  they  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  struggle,  which  had  been  carried  on  solely  by 
their  king  with  his  Saxon  troops. 

The  authority  of  the  kings  of  Poland  was  much  smaller 
than  that  of  other  European  monarchs.  The  office  was  not 
a  hereditary  one;  the  king  being  elected  at  a  diet  composed 
of  the  whole  of  the  nobles  of  the  country,  the  nobility 
embracing  practically  every  free  man;  and  as  it  was 
necessary,  according  to  the  constitution  of  the  country, 
that  the  vote  should  be  unanimous,  the  difficulties  in  the 


THE   PASSAGE    OF   THE   DWINA  147 

way  of  election  were  very  great,  and  civil  wars  of  constant 
occurrence. 

Charles  was  determined  that  he  would  drive  Augustus, 
who  was  the  author  of  the  league  against  him,  from  the 
throne,  but  he  desired  to  do  this  by  means  of  the  Poles 
themselves,  rather  than  to  unite  the  whole  nation  against 
him  by  invading  the  country.  Poland  was  divided  into 
two  parts,  the  larger  of  which  was  Poland  proper,  which 
could  at  once  place  thirty  thousand  men  in  the  field.  The 
other  was  Lithuania,  with  an  army  of  t^velve  thousand. 
These  forces  were  entirely  independent  of  each  other. 
The  troops  were  for  the  most  part  cavalry,  and  the  small 
force  permanently  kept  up  was  composed  almost  entirely 
of  horsemen.  They  rarely  drew  pay,  and  subsisted  entirely 
on  plunder,  being  as  formidable  to  their  own  people  as  to 
an  enemy. 

Lithuania,  on  whose  borders  the  king  had  taken  post 
with  his  army,  was  as  usual  harassed  by  two  factions,  that  of 
the  Prince  Sapieha  and  the  Prince  of  Oginski,  bet^veen 
whom  a  civil  war  was  going  on. 

The  King  of  Sweden  took  the  part  of  the  former,  and 
furnishing  him  with  assistance,  speedily  enabled  him  to 
overcome  the  Oginski  party,  who  received  but  slight  aid 
from  the  Saxons.  Oginski's  forces  were  speedily  dis- 
persed, and  roamed  about  the  country  in  scattered  parties, 
subsisting  on  pillage,  thereby  exciting  among  the  people 
a  lively  feeling  of  hatred  against  the  King  of  Poland,  who 
was  regarded  as  the  author  of  the  misfortunes  that  had 
befallen  the  country. 

From  the  day  when  Charlie's  suggestion  of  burning 
damp  straw  to  conceal  the  passage  of  the  river  had  been 
attended  with  such  success,  the  king  had  held  him  in  high 
favour.  There  was  but  a  few  years'  difference  between 
their  ages,  and  the  suggestion  so  promptly  made  seemed 
to  show  the  king  that  the  young  Englishman  was  a  kin- 


148  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

dred  spirit,  and  he  frequently  requested  him  to  accompany 
him  in  his  rides,  and  chatted  familiarly  with  him. 

"I  hate  this  inactive  life,"  he  said  one  day,  "and  would 
a  thousand  times  rather  be  fighting  the  Russians  than 
setting  the  Poles  by  the  ears;  but  I  dare  not  move  against 
them,  for  were  Augustus  of  Saxony  left  alone  he  would  ere 
long  set  all  Poland  against  me.  At  present  the  Poles  re- 
fuse to  allow  him  to  bring  in  reinforcements  from  his  own 
country;  but  if  he  cannot  get  men  he  can  get  gold,  and 
with  gold  he  can  buy  over  his  chief  opponents  and  regain 
his  power.  If  it  costs  me  a  year's  delay  I  must  wait  until 
he  is  forced  to  fly  the  kingdom,  and  I  can  place  on  the 
throne  some  one  who  will  owe  his  election  entirely  to  me, 
and  in  whose  good  faith  I  can  be  secure.  That  done,  I 
can  turn  my  attention  to  Russia,  which  by  all  accounts 
daily  becomes  more  formidable.  Narva  is  besieged  by 
them,  and  will  ere  long  fall ;  but  I  can  retake  Narva  when 
once  I  can  depend  upon  the  neutrality  of  the  Poles. 
Would  I  were  king  of  Poland  as  well  as  of  Sweden.  With 
eighty  thousand  Polish  horse  and  my  own  Swedish  infantry 
I  could  conquer  Europe  if  I  wished  to  do  so. 

"  I  know  that  you  are  as  fond  of  adventure  as  I  am,  and 
I  am  thinking  of  sending  you  with  an  envoy  I  am  despatch- 
ing to  Warsaw. 

"  You  know  that  the  Poles  are  adverse  to  business  of  all 
kinds.  The  poorest  noble,  who  can  scarcely  pay  for  the 
cloak  he  wears,  and  who  is  ready  enough  to  sell  his  vote 
and  his  sword  to  the  highest  bidder,  will  turn  up  his  nose 
at  honest  trade;  and  the  consequence  is,  as  there  is  no 
class  between  the  noble  and  the  peasant,  the  trade  of  the 
country  is  wholly  in  the  hands  of  Jews  and  foreigners, 
among  the  latter  being,  I  hear,  many  Scotchmen,  who, 
while  they  make  excellent  soldiers,  are  also  keen  traders. 
This  class  must  have  considerable  power  in  fact,  although 
it  be  exercised  quietly.     The  Jews  are,  of  course,  money- 


THE   PASSAGE   OF   THE   DWINA  149 

lenders  as  well  as  traders.  Large  numbers  of  these  petty 
nobles  must  be  in  their  debt,  either  for  money  lent  or 
goods  supplied.  My  agent  goes  specially  charged  to  deal 
with  the  archbishop,  who  is  quite  open  to  sell  his  services 
to  me,  although  he  poses  as  one  of  the  strongest  adherents 
of  the  Saxons.  With  him  it  is  not  a  question  so  much  of 
money  as  of  power.  Being  a  wise  man,  he  sees  that  Augus- 
tus can  never  retain  his  position  in  the  face  of  the  enmity 
of  the  great  body  of  the  Poles,  and  of  my  hostility.  But 
while  my  agent  deals  with  him  and  such  nobles  as  he  indi- 
cates as  being  likely  to  take  my  part  against  Augustus,  you 
could  ascertain  the  feeling  of  the  trading  class,  and  endeav- 
our to  induce  them  not  only  to  favour  me,  but  to  exert  all 
the  influence  they  possess  on  my  behalf.  As  there  are 
many  Scotch  merchants  in  the  city,  you  could  begin  by 
making  yourself  known  to  them,  taking  with  you  letters  of 
introduction  from  your  colonel  and  any  other  Scotch  gen- 
tleman whom  you  may  find  to  have  acquaintanceship,  if 
not  with  the  men  themselves,  with  their  families  in  Scot- 
land. I  do  not,  of  course,  say  that  the  mission  will  be 
without  danger,  but  that  will,  I  know,  be  an  advantage  in 
your  eyes.     What  do  you  think  of  the  proposal?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,  sire,"  Charlie  said  doubtfully.  "  I  have 
no  experience  whatever  in  matters  of  that  kind." 

"This  will  be  a  good  opportunity  for  you  to  ser\'e  an 
apprenticeship,"  the  king  said  decidedly.  "There  is  no 
chance  of  anything  being  done  here  for  months,  and  as  you 
will  have  no  opportunity  of  using  your  sword,  you  cannot 
be  better  employed  than  in  polishing  up  your  wits.  I  will 
speak  to  Colonel  Jamieson  about  it  this  evening.  Count 
Piper  will  give  you  full  instructions,  and  will  obtain  for  you 
from  some  of  our  friends  lists  of  the  names  of  the  men  who 
would  be  likely  to  be  most  useful  to  us.  You  will  please 
to  remember  that  the  brain  does  a  great  deal  more  than  the 
sword  in  enabling  a  man  to  rise  above  his  fellows.     You 


150  A  Jacobite  ExiLfi 

are  a  brave  young  officer,  but  I  have  many  a  score  of  brave 
young  officers,  and  it  was  your  quick  wit  in  suggesting  the 
strategy  by  which  we  crossed  the  Dwina  without  loss  that 
has  marked  you  out  from  among  others,  and  made  me  see 
that  you  are  fit  for  something  better  than  getting  your 
throat  cut." 

The  king  then  changed  the  subject  with  his  usual  abrupt- 
ness, and  dismissed  Charlie  at  the  end  of  his  ride  without 
any  further  allusion  to  the  subject.  The  young  fellow, 
however,  knew  enough  of  the  king's  headstrong  dispo- 
sition to  be  aware  that  the  matter  was  settled,  and  that 
he  could  not,  without  incurring  the  king's  serious  dis- 
pleasure, decline  to  accept  the  commission.  He  walked 
back  with  a  serious  face  to  the  hut  that  the  officers  of 
the  company  occupied,  and  asked  Harry  Jervoise  to  come 
out  to  him. 

"What  is  it,  Charlie?"  his  friend  said.  "Has  his 
gracious  majesty  been  blowing  you  up,  or  has  your  horse 
broken  its  knees?" 

"A  much  worse  thing  than  either,  Harry.  The  king 
appears  to  have  taken  into  his  head  that  I  am  cut  out  for  a 
diplomatist; "  and  he  then  repeated  to  his  friend  the  con- 
versation the  king  had  had  with  him. 

Harry  burst  into  a  shout  of  laughter. 

"Don't  be  angry,  Charlie,  but  I  cannot  help  it.  The 
idea  of  your  going,  in  disguise,  I  suppose,  and  trying  to 
talk  over  the  Jewish  clothiers  and  cannie  Scotch  traders,  is 
one  of  the  funniest  things  I  ever  heard.  And  do  you  think 
the  king  was  really  in  earnest?  " 

"The  king  is  always  in  earnest,"  Charlie  said  in  a  vexed 
tone;  "and  when  he  once  takes  a  thing  into  his  head 
there  is  no  gainsaying  him." 

"That  is  true  enough,  Charlie,"  Harry  said,  becoming 
serious.  "Well,  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  do  it  just  as  well 
as  another,  and  after  all  there  will  be  some  fun  in  it,  and 


THE   PASSAGE    OF   THE    D\VINA  151 

you  will  be  in  a  big  city  and  likely  to  have  a  deal  more 
excitement  than  will  fall  to  our  lot  here." 

"I  don't  think  it  will  be  at  all  the  sort  of  excitement  I 
should  care  for,  Harry.  However,  my  hope  is,  that  the 
colonel  will  be  able  to  dissuade  him  from  the  idea." 

"Well  I  don't  know  that  I  should  wish  that  if  I  were  in 
your  place,  Charlie.  Undoubtedly  it  is  an  honour  being 
chosen  for  such  a  mission,  and  it  is  possible  you  may  get 
a  great  deal  of  credit  for  it,  as  the  king  is  always  ready  to 
push  forward  those  who  do  good  service.  Look  how  much 
he  thinks  of  you  because  you  made  that  suggestion  about 
"  getting  up  a  smoke  to  cover  our  passage." 

"I  wish  I  had  never  made  it,"  Charlie  said  heartily. 

"Well,  in  that  case,  Charlie,  it  is  likely  enough  we  should 
not  be  talking  together  here,  for  our  loss  in  crossing  the 
river  under  fire  would  have  been  terrible." 

"Well,  perhaps  it  is  as  well  as  it  is,"  Charlie  agreed. 
"But  I  did  not  want  to  attract  his  attention;  I  was  very 
happy  as  I  was  with  you  all.  As  for  my  suggestion  about 
the  straw,  anyone  might  have  thought  of  it.  I  should  never 
have  given  the  matter  another  moment's  consideration,  and 
I  should  be  much  better  pleased  if  the  king  had  not  done 
so  either,  instead  of  telling  the  colonel  about  it,  and  the 
colonel  speaking  to  the  officers,  and  such  a  ridiculous  fuss 
being  made  about  nothing." 

"My  dear  Charlie,"  Harry  said  seriously,  "you  seem  to 
be  forgetting  that  we  all  came  out  here  together  to  make 
our  fortune,  or  at  any  rate  to  do  as  well  as  we  could  till  the 
Stuarts  come  to  the  throne  again,  and  our  fathers  regain 
their  estates,  a  matter  concerning  which,  let  me  tell  you,  I 
do  not  feel  by  any  means  so  certain  as  I  did  in  the  old 
days.  Then,  you  know,  all  our  friends  were  of  our  way  of 
thinking,  and  the  faith  that  the  Stuarts  would  return  was 
like  a  matter  of  religion,  which  it  was  heresy  to  doubt  for 
an  instant.     Well,  you  see  in  the  year  that  we  have  been 


152  A    JACOBITE    EXILE 

out  here  one's  eyes  have  got  opened  a  bit,  and  I  don't  feel 
by  any  means  sanguine  that  the  Stuarts  will  ever  come  to 
the  throne  of  England  again,  or  that  our  fathers  will  recover 
their  estates.  You  have  seen  here  what  good  soldiers  can 
do,  and  how  jDOwerless  men  possessing  but  little  discipline, 
though  perhaps  as  brave  as  themselves,  are  against  them. 
William  of  Orange  has  got  good  soldiers.  His  Dutch 
troops  are  probably  quite  as  good  as  our  best  Swedish  regi- 
ments. They  have  had  plenty  of  fighting  in  Ireland  and 
elsewhere,  and  I  doubt  whether  the  Jacobite  gentlemen, 
however  numerous,  but  without  training  or  discipline,  could 
any  more  make  head  against  them  than  the  masses  of  Mus- 
covites could  against  the  Swedish  battalions  at  Narva.  All 
this  means  that  it  is  necessary  that  we  should,  if  possible, 
carve  out  a  fortune  here.  So  far  I  certainly  have  no  reason 
to  grumble.  On  the  contrary  I  have  had  great  luck.  I  am 
a  lieutenant  at  seventeen,  and  if  I  am  not  shot  or  carried 
off  by  fever,  I  may,  suppose  the  war  goes  on  and  the  army 
is  not  reduced,  be  a  colonel  at  the  age  of  forty.  Now  you, 
on  the  other  hand,  have,  by  that  happy  suggestion  of  yours, 
attracted  the  notice  of  the  king,  and  he  is  pleased  to  nomi- 
nate you  to  a  mission  in  which  there  is  a  chance  of  your 
distinguishing  yourself  in  another  way,  and  of  being  em- 
ployed in  other  and  more  important  business.  All  this 
will  place  you  much  farther  on  the  road  towards  making  a 
fortune  than  marching  and  fighting  with  your  company 
would  be  likely  to  do  in  the  course  of  twenty  years,  and  I 
think  it  would  be  foolish  in  the  extreme  for  you  to  exhibit 
any  disinclination  to  undertake  the  duty." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  right,  Harry,  and  I  am  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  advice,  which  certainly  puts  the  matter  in  a 
light  in  which  I  had  not  before  seen  it.  If  I  thought  that 
I  could  do  it  well  I  should  not  so  much  mind,  for,  as  you 
say,  there  will  be  some  fun  to  be  got  out  of  it,  and  some 
excitement,  and  there  seems  little  chance  of  doing  any- 


THE   PASSAGE   OF   THE   DWINA  153 

thing  here  for  a  long  time.  But  what  am  I  to  say  to  the 
fellows?  How  can  I  argue  with  them?  Besides,  I  don't 
talk  Polish." 

"I  don't  suppose  there  are  ten  men  m  the  army  who  do 
so,  probably  not  five.  As  to  what  to  say,  Count  Piper  will 
no  doubt  give  you  full  instructions  as  to  the  line  you  are 
to  take,  the  arguments  you  are  to  use,  and  the  inducements 
you  are  to  hold  out.     That  is  sure  to  be  all  right." 

"Well,  do  not  say  anything  about  it,  Harry,  when  you 
get  back.  I  still  hope  the  colonel  will  dissuade  the 
king." 

"Then  you  are  singularly  hopeful,  Charlie,  that  is  all  I 
can  say.  You  might  persuade  a  brick  wall  to  move  out  of 
your  way  as  easily  as  induce  the  King  of  Sweden  to  give  up 
a  plan  he  has  once  formed.  However,  I  will  say  nothing 
about  it." 

At  nine  o'clock  an  orderly  came  to  the  hut  with  a  mes- 
sage that  the  colonel  wished  to  speak  to  Lieutenant  Car- 
stairs.  Harry  gave  his  friend  a  comical  look  as  the  latter 
rose  and  buckled  on  his  sword. 

"What  is  the  joke,  Harry?"  his  father  asked,  when 
Charlie  had  left.  "Do  you  know  what  the  colonel  can 
want  him  for  at  this  time  of  the  evening?  It  is  not  his 
turn  for  duty." 

"I  know,  father;  but  I  must  not  say." 

"The  lad  has  not  been  getting  into  a  scrape,  I  hope?  " 

"Nothing  serious,  I  can  assure  you;  but  really  I  must  not 
say  anything  until  he  comes  back." 

Harry's  positive  assurance  as  to  the  impossibility  of 
changing  the  king's  decision  had  pretty  well  dispelled  any 
hopes  Charlie  might  before  have  entertained,  and  he  entered 
the  colonel's  room  with  a  grave  face. 

"You  know  why  I  have  sent  for  you,  Carstairs?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  am  afraid  that  I  do." 

"Afraid?     That  is  to  say,  you  don't  like  it." 


154  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Yes,  sir;  I  own  that  I  don't  like  it." 

"Nor  do  I,  lad,  and  I  told  his  majesty  so;  I  said  you 
were  too  young  for  so  risky  a  business.  The  king  scoffed 
at  the  idea.  He  said,  *  He  is  not  much  more  than  two 
years  younger  than  I  am,  and  if  I  am  old  enough  to  com- 
mand an  army  he  is  old  enough  to  carry  out  this  mission. 
We  know  that  he  is  courageous;  he  is  cool,  sharp,  and  intel- 
ligent. Why  do  I  choose  him?  Has  he  not  saved  me  from 
the  loss  of  about  four  or  five  thousand  men,  and  probably  a 
total  defeat?  A  young  fellow  who  can  do  that  ought  to  be 
able  to  cope  with  Jewish  traders,  and  to  throw  dust  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Poles.  I  have  chosen  him  for  this  service  for 
two  reasons.  In  the  first  place  because  I  know  he  will  do 
it  well,  and  even  those  who  consider  that  I  am  rash  and 
headstrong  admit  that  I  have  the  knack  of  picking  out  good 
men.  In  the  next  place  I  want  to  reward  him  for  the 
service  he  has  done  for  us.  I  cannot  at  his  age  make  a 
colonel  of  him,  but  I  can  give  him  a  chance  of  distinguish- 
ing himself  in  a  service  in  which  age  does  not  count  for  so 
much,  and  Count  Piper  knowing  my  wishes  in  the  matter 
will  push  him  forward.  Moreover,  in  such  a  mission  as 
this  his  youth  will  be  an  advantage,  for  he  is  very  much 
less  likely  to  excite  suspicion  than  if  he  were  an  older 
man.' 

"The  king's  manner  did  not  admit  of  argument,  and  I 
had  only  to  wait  and  ask  what  were  his  commands.  These 
were  simply  that  you  are  to  call  upon  his  minister  to- 
morrow, and  that  you  would  then  receive  full  instruc- 
tions. The  king  means  well  by  you,  lad,  and  on  turning 
it  over  I  think  better  of  the  plan  than  I  did  before.  I 
am  convinced,  at  any  rate,  that  you  will  do  credit  to  the 
king's  choice." 

"I  will  do  my  best,  sir,"  Charlie  said.  "At  present  it 
all  seems  so  vague  to  me  that  I  can  form  no  idea  whatever 
as  to  what  it  will  be  like.     I  am  sure  that  the  king's  inten- 


THE   PASSAGE   OF  THE   DWINA  155 

tions  are  at  any  rate  kind.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that 
on  consideration  you  think  better  of  the  plan.  Then  I 
may  mention  the  matter  to  Major  Jervoise?  " 

"  Certainly,  Carstairs,  and  to  his  son,  but  it  must  go  no 
farther.  I  shall  put  your  name  in  orders  as  relieved  from 
duty,  and  shall  mention  that  you  have  been  despatched  on 
service,  which  might  mean  anything.  Come  and  see  me 
to-morrow,  lad,  after  you  have  received  Count  Piper's 
instructions.  As  the  king  reminded  me,  there  are  many 
Scotchmen  at  Warsaw,  and  it  is  likely  that  some  of  them 
passed  through  Sweden  on  the  way  to  establish  themselves 
there,  and  I  may  very  well  have  made  their  acquaintance  at 
Gottenburg  or  Stockholm. 

"  Once  established  in  the  house  of  one  of  my  country- 
men, your  position  would  be  fairly  safe  and  not  altogether 
unpleasant,  and  you  would  be  certainly  far  better  off  than 
a  Swede  would  be  engaged  on  this  mission.  The  Swedes 
are  of  course  regarded  by  the  Poles  as  enemies,  but,  as  there 
is  no  feeling  against  Englishmen  or  Scotchmen,  you  might 
pass  about  unnoticed  as  one  of  the  family  of  a  Scottish 
trader  there,  or  as  his  assistant." 

"I  don't  fear  its  being  unpleasant  in  the  least,  colonel. 
Nor  do  I  think  anything  one  way  or  the  other  about  my 
safety.  I  only  fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  carry  out 
properly  the  mission  intrusted  to  me." 

"  You  will  do  your  best,  lad,  and  that  is  all  that  can  be 
expected.  You  have  not  solicited  the  post,  and  as  it  is 
none  of  your  choosing,  your  failure  would  be  the  fault  of 
those  who  have  sent  you,  and  not  of  yourself;  but  in  a  mat- 
ter of  this  kind  there  is  no  such  thing  as  complete  failure. 
When  you  have  to  deal  with  one  man  you  may  succeed  or 
you  may  fail  in  endeavouring  to  induce  him  to  act  in  a 
certain  manner,  but  when  you  have  to  deal  with  a  consid- 
erable number  of  men,  some  will  be  willing  to  accept  your 
proposals,  some  will  not,  and  the  question  of  success  will 


156  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

probably  depend  upon  outside  influences  and  circumstances 
over  which  you  have  no  control  whatever.  I  have  no  fear 
that  it  will  be  a  failure.  If  our  party  in  Poland  triumph, 
or  if  our  army  here  advances,  or  if  Augustus,  finding  his 
position  hopeless,  leaves  the  country,  the  good  people  of 
Warsaw  will  join  their  voices  to  those  of  the  majority.  If 
matters  go  the  other  way,  you  may  be  sure  that  they  will 
not  risk  imprisonment,  confiscation,  and  perhaps  death,  by 
getting  up  a  revolt  on  their  own  account.  The  king  will 
be  perfectly  aware  of  this,  and  will  not  expect  impossibil- 
ities, and  there  is  really  no  occasion  whatever  for  you  to 
worry  yourself  on  that  ground." 

Upon  calling  upon  Count  Piper  the  next  morning  Charlie 
found  that,  as  the  colonel  had  told  him,  his  mission  was  a 
general  one. 

"  It  will  be  your  duty,"  the  minister  said,  "to  have  inter- 
views with  as  many  of  the  foreign  traders  and  Jews  in 
Warsaw  as  you  can,  only  going  to  those  to  whom  you  have 
some  sort  of  introduction  from  the  persons  you  may  first 
meet,  or  who  are,  as  far  as  you  can  learn  from  the  report 
of  others,  ill  disposed  towards  the  Saxon  party.  Here  is  a 
letter,  stating  to  all  whom  it  may  concern  that  you  are  in  the 
confidence  of  the  King  of  Sweden,  and  are  authorized  to 
represent  him.  In  the  first  place,  you  can  point  out  to 
those  you  see  that,  should  the  present  situation  continue,  it 
will  bring  grievous  evils  upon  Poland.  Proclamations  have 
already  been  spread  broadcast  over  the  country,  saying  that 
the  king  has  no  quarrel  with  the  people  of  Poland,  but,  as 
their  sovereign  has  without  the  slightest  provocation  em- 
barked on  a  war,  he  must  fight  against  him  and  his  Saxon 
troops  until  they  are  driven  from,  the  country.  This  you 
will  repeat,  and  will  urge  that  it  will  be  infinitely  better 
that  Poland  herself  should  cast  out  the  man  who  has 
embroiled  her  with  Sweden,  than  that  the  country  should 
be  the  scene  of  a  long  and  sanguinary  struggle,  in  which 


THE    PASSAGE   OF   THE   DWINA  157 

large  districts  will  necessarily  be  laid  waste,  all  trade  be 
arrested  and  grievous  suffering  inflicted  upon  the  people 

at  large.  . 

"You  can  say  that  King  Charles  has  already  received 
promises  of  support  from  a  large  number  of  nobles,  and  is 
most  desirous  that  the   people   of   the  large  towns,   and 
especially  of  the  capital,  should  use  their  influence  in  his 
favour.     That  he  has  himself  no  ambition  and  no  end  to 
ser\'e  save  to  obtain  peace  and  tranquillity  for  his  country, 
and  that  it  will  be  free  for  the  people  of  Poland  to  elect 
their  own  monarch  when  once  Augustus  of  Saxony  has  dis- 
appeared from  the  scene.     In  this  sealed  packet  you  will 
find  a  list  of  influential  citizens.     It  has  been  furnished 
me  by  one  well  acquainted  with  the  place.     The  Jews  are 
to  be  assured  that,  in  case  of  a  friendly  monarch  being 
placed  on  the  throne,  Charles  will  make  a  treaty  with  him, 
insuring  freedom  of  commerce  to  the  two  countries,  and 
will  also  use  his  friendly  endeavours  to  obtain  from  the  king 
and  Diet  an  enlargement  of  the  privileges  that  the  Jews 
enjoy.     To  the  foreign  merchants  you  will  hold  the  same 
language,   somewhat  altered,  to  suit  their  condition  and 

wants. 

"You  are  not  asking  them  to  organize  any  public  move- 
ment, the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  that,  but  simply  to 
throw  the  weight  of  their  example  and  influence  against 
the  party  of  the  Saxons.  Of  course  our  friends  in  Warsaw 
have  been  doing  their  best  to  bring  round  public  opinion 
in  the  capital  to  this  direction,  but  the  country  is  so  torn 
by  perpetual  intrigues  that  the  trading  classes  hold  aloof 
altogether  from  quarrels  in  which  they  have  no  personal 
interest,  and  are  slow  to  believe  that  they  can  be  seriously 
affected  by  any  changes  which  will  take  place.  Our  envoy 
will  start  to-morrow  morning.  His  mission  is  an  open 
one.  He  goes  to  lay  certain  complaints,  to  propose  an 
exchange  of  prisoners,  and  to  open  negotiations  for  peace. 


158  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

All  these  are  but  pretences.  His  real  object  is  to  enter 
into  personal  communication  with  two  or  three  powerful 
personages  well  disposed  towards  us.  Come  again  to 
me  this  evening  when  you  have  thought  the  matter  over. 
I  shall  then  be  glad  to  hear  any  suggestion  you  may  like 
to  make." 

"There  is  one  thing,  sir,  that  I  should  like  to  ask  you. 
It  will  evidently  be  of  great  advantage  to  me  if  I  can  obtain 
private  letters  of  introduction  to  Scotch  traders  in  the 
city.  This  I  cannot  do  unless  by  mentioning  the  fact  that 
I  am  bound  for  Warsaw.  Have  I  your  permission  to  do 
so,  or  is  it  to  be  kept  a  close  secret?  " 

"No.  I  see  no  objection  to  your  naming  it  to  anyone 
you  can  implicitly  trust,  and  who  may  as  you  think  be 
able  to  give  you  such  introductions,  but  you  must  impress 
upon  them  that  the  matter  must  be  kept  a  secret.  Doubt- 
less the  Saxons  have  in  their  pay  people  in  our  camp  just 
as  we  have  in  theirs,  and  were  word  of  your  going  sent, 
you  would  find  yourself  watched  and  perhaps  arrested. 
We  should  of  course  wish  you  to  be  zealous  in  your  mis- 
sion, but  I  would  say,  do  not  be  over-anxious.  We  are 
not  trying  to  get  up  a  revolution  in  Warsaw,  but  seeking  to 
ensure  that  the  feeling  in  the  city  should  be  in  our  favour; 
and  this,  we  think,  may  be  brought  about  to  some  extent 
by  such  assurances  as  you  can  give  of  the  king's  friend- 
ship, and  by  such  expressions  of  a  belief  in  the  justice  of 
our  cause,  and  in  the  advantages  there  would  be  in  getting 
rid  of  this  foreign  prince,  as  might  be  said  openly  by  one 
trader  to  another  when  men  meet  in  their  exchanges  or 
upon  the  street.  So  that  the  ball  is  once  set  rolling,  it 
may  be  trusted  to  keep  in  motion,  and  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  such  expressions  of  feeling  among  the  mercan- 
tile community  of  the  capital  will  have  some  effect  even 
upon  nobles  who  pretend  to  despise  trade,  but  who  are  not 


THE   PASSAGE    OF   THE   DWTNA 


159 


unfrequently  in  debt  to  traders,  and  who  hold  their  views 
in  a  certain  respect." 

"Thank  you,  sir.  At  what  time  shall  I  come  this  even- 
ing? " 

"At  eight  o'clock.  By  that  time  I  may  have  thought 
out  farther  details  for  your  guidance." 


CHAPTER   IX 


IN   WARSAW 


UPON  leaving  the  quarters  of  Count  Piper,  Charlie  re- 
turned to  the  camp,  and  after  discussing  the  matter 
with  Major  Jervoise  proceeded  with  him  to  the  colonel's 
hut. 

"Well,  you  look  brighter  this  morning,  Carstairs.  Are 
you  better  pleased  now  you  have  thought  the  matter  over?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  What  you  said  last  night  has  been  quite  con- 
firmed by  Count  Piper,  and  the  matter  does  not  really 
seem  so  difficult.  I  am  merely,  as  a  foreigner  in  the  em- 
ployment of  the  King  of  Sweden,  to  talk  with  foreigners 
in  Warsaw,  to  assure  them  that  the  king  is  sincere  in  his 
desire  to  avoid  war  with  Poland,  and  will  gladly  make  a 
lasting  peace  between  the  two  countries,  to  urge  upon  them 
to  show  themselves  favourable  to  his  project  for  securing 
such  a  peace,  by  forcing  Augustus  to  resign  the  crown,  and 
to  use  what  influence  they  can  in  that  direction,  both  upon 
their  fellow-traders  and  upon  the  Poles." 

"There  is  nothing  very  difficult  about  that,"  Colonel 
Jamieson  said  cheerfully,  "as  it  happens  to  be  quite  true; 
and  there  can  be  no  real  question  as  to  the  true  interest  of 
Poland,  and  especially  of  the  trading  classes  in  the  great 
towns,  from  whom  heavy  contributions  towards  the  ex- 
penses of  war  are  always  exacted  by  their  own  rulers,  and 

160 


IN   WARSAW  161 

who  have  to  pay  a  ruinous  ransom  in  case  of  their  city 
being  captured  by  the  enemy.  The  traders  of  Warsaw  will 
need  no  reminder  of  such  well-known  facts,  and  will  be 
only  too  glad  to  be  assured  that,  unless  as  a  last  resource, 
our  king  has  no  intention  of  making  war  upon  Poland, 
and  they  will  certainly  be  inclined  to  bestir  themselves  to 
avert  such  a  possibility.  You  have,  I  suppose,  a  list  of 
names  of  the  people  with  whom  you  had  best  put  yourself 
into  communication?" 

"Yes,  sir;  here  is  a  list.  There  are,  I  see,  ten  Scotch- 
men, fifteen  Frenchmen,  and  about  as  many  Jews." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  Frenchmen,  and  less  of  the 
Jews,"  the  colonel  said,  taking  the  list;  "but  I  ought  to 
know  some  of  the  Scotchmen.  They  will  hail  from  Dun- 
dee and  Glasgow,  and  it  may  be  Dumfries."  He  ran  his 
eye  down  the  list.  "Aha!  here  is  one,  and  we  need  go 
no  further.  Allan  Ramsay;  we  were  lads  together  at  the 
High  School  of  Glasgow,  and  were  class-mates  at  the 
College.  His  father  was  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and 
was  one  of  the  leading  traders  in  the  city.  Allan  was  a 
wild  lad,  as  I  was  myself,  and  many  a  scrape  did  we  get 
into  together,  and  had  many  a  skirmish  with  the  watch. 
Allan  had  two  or  three  half-brothers,  men  from  ten  to 
twenty  years  older  than  himself,  and  a  year  or  two  after  I 
came  out  to  Sweden  and  entered  the  army  as  an  ensign, 
who  should  I  meet  in  the  streets  of  Gottenburg  but  Allan 
Ramsay. 

"  We  were  delighted  to  see  each  other,  and  he  stopped 
with  me  nearly  a  week.  He  had,  after  leaving  the  College, 
gone  into  his  father's  business,  but  when  the  old  man  died 
he  could  not  get  on  with  his  half-brothers,  who  were  dour 
men,  and  had  little  patience  with  Allan's  restlessness  and 
love  of  pleasure.  So,  after  a  final  quarrel,  they  had  given 
him  so  much  money  for  his  share  of  the  business  and  a 
letter  of  introduction  to  a  trader  in  Poland,  who  had  writ- 


162  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

ten  to  them  saying  that  he  wanted  a  partner  with  some 
capital;  and  Allan  was  willing  enough  to  try  the  life  in  a 
strange  country,  for  he  was  a  shrewd  fellow  with  all  his  love 
of  fun.  Five  years  afterwards  he  came  through  Gottenburg 
again.  I  did  not  see  him,  for  my  regiment  was  at  Stock- 
holm at  the  time,  but  he  wrote  me  a  letter  saying  that  he 
had  been  in  Scotland  to  marry  and  bring  back  one  Janet 
Black,  the  daughter  of  a  mercer,  whom  I  remember  well 
enough  as  an  old  flame  of  his. 

"  He  reported  that  he  was  doing  well,  and  that  the  Poles 
were  not  bad  fellows  to  live  among,  though  less  punctual  in 
their  payments  than  might  be  wished.  He  said  he  did  not 
suppose  that,  as  a  Swedish  officer,  I  should  ever  be  in 
Poland,  unless  Sweden  produced  another  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus;  but  if  I  was,  he  would  be  delighted  to  welcome  me, 
and  that  anyone  I  asked  in  Warsaw  would  direct  me  to  his 
shop.  I  wonder  that  I  did  not  think  of  him  before;  but 
that  is  ten  years  ago,  and  it  had  altogether  passed  out  of 
my  mind  till  I  saw  his  name  here.  Unless  he  is  greatly 
changed  you  may  be  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome  from  Allan 
Ramsay  for  my  sake.  We  need  not  trouble  about  the  other 
names.  He  will  know  all  about  them,  and  will  be  able  to 
put  you  in  the  way  of  getting  at  them." 

This  was  a  great  relief  to  Charlie,  who  felt  that  it  would 
be  an  immense  advantage  to  have  the  house  of  someone, 
from  whom  he  might  expect  a  welcome,  to  go  to  on  his 
arrival  in  Warsaw,  and  he  was  able  during  the  day  to  talk 
over  the  prospects  of  the  journey  with  Harry  Jervoise  with 
a  real  sense  of  interest  and  excitement  in  his  mission.  In 
the  evening  he  again  went  to  the  house  of  the  minister. 
The  latter,  a  close  observer  of  men,  saw  at  once  that  the 
young  officer  was  in  much  better  spirits  than  he  had  been 
in  the  morning. 

"  Have  you  obtained  information  respecting  any  of  the 
persons  whose  names  I  gave  you?  "  he  asked. 


IN   WARSAW  163 

"Yes,  sir.  It  seems  that  most  fortunately  the  trader 
named  Allan  Ramsay  is  an  old  friend  of  Colonel  Jamieson, 
and  the  colonel  has  given  me  a  letter  to  him  which  will,  he 
assures  me,  procure  me  a  hearty  welcome." 

"  And  have  you  thought  anything  more  of  your  best  plan 
of  action?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  had  better  dress  myself 
in  an  attire  such  as  might  be  worn  by  a  young  Scotchman 
journeying  through  the  country  to  place  himself  with  a 
relation  established  in  business.  I  could  ride  behind  the 
royal  envoy,  as  if  I  had  received  permission  to  journey 
under  the  protection  of  his  escort,  and  could  drop  behind 
a  few  miles  from  the  capital  and  make  my  way  in  alone.  I 
could  not,  of  course,  inquire  for  Allan  Ramsay  in  Polish, 
but  I  know  enough  French  to  ask  for  him  at  any  shop  hav- 
ing a  French  name  over  it,  if  I  did  not  happen  to  light 
upon  one  kept  by  a  Scotchman." 

"Yes,  that  plan  will  do  very  well.  But  you  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  finding  the  house,  as  I  have  arranged  that  a 
man  shall  accompany  you  as  servant.  He  is  a  Lithuanian, 
and  is  the  grandson  of  a  soldier  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  who 
married  and  settled  there.  His  grandfather  kept  up  his 
connection  with  his  native  country,  and  the  young  fellow 
speaks  Swedish  fairly,  and,  of  course,  Polish.  For  the  last 
three  weeks  I  have  employed  him  in  various  matters,  and 
find  him  shrewd  and,  I  believe,  faithful.  Such  a  fellow 
would  be  of  great  use  to  you,  and  could  if  necessary  act  as 
your  interpreter  in  any  interviews  you  may  have  with  Polish 
Jews,  although  you  will  find  that  most  of  these  men  speak 
other  languages  besides  their  own." 

He  touched  a  bell,  and  on  a  servant  entering  said : 

"Bring  Stanislas  Bistron  here." 

An  active,  well-built  young  fellow  of  some  four-and- 
twenty  years  of  age  entered  the  room  a  minute  later.  His 
fair  hair  and  blue  eyes  showed  that  he  took  after  his  Swedish 
ancestors. 


164  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"This  is  the  gentleman,  Stanislas,  that  you  are  to  accom- 
pany to  Warsaw  as  his  servant.  You  will  obey  him  in  all 
respects  as  if  he  had  hired  you  in  his  service,  and  should 
he  arrive  at  any  situation  of  danger  or  difhculty  I  trust  that 
you  will  not  be  found  wanting." 

The  man  had  looked  closely  at  Charlie. 

"  I  will  do  ray  best,  sir,  and  I  doubt  not  that  the  gentle- 
man's service  will  suit  me.  He  has  the  look  of  one  who 
would  be  kind  to  his  servants." 

"Wait  at  the  outside  door,"  the  count  said.  "Captain 
Carstairs  will  speak  to  you  as  he  leaves." 

The  man  bowed  and  went  out,  and  the  count  then  said 
with  a  smile  at  the  look  of  surprise  on  Charlie's  face,  "It 
was  not  a  slip  of  the  tongue.  Here  is  a  commission  signed 
by  his  majesty  appointing  you  to  the  rank  of  captain,  as  he 
has  long  considered  that  you  had  well  won  your  promotion 
by  your  suggestion  which  enabled  him  to  cross  the  Dwina 
without  loss,  but  he  thought  there  would  be  a  difficulty  in 
placing  you  over  the  heads  of  so  many  officers  senior  to 
yourself.  This  inconvenience  no  longer  exists  now  that 
you  have  what  raay  be  considered  a  staff  appointment,  and 
the  rank  may,  moreover,  add  to  your  weight  and  influence 
in  your  interviews  with  persons  at  Warsaw.  You  will  need 
money;  here  is  a  purse  for  your  expenses.  You  may  meet 
with  some  of  these  men,  especially  among  the  Jewish 
traders,  who  may  need  a  bribe.  Bribery  is  common  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest  in  Poland.  You  will  find  in  this 
letter  of  instructions  that  you  are  authorized  to  promise 
sums  of  money  to  men  whose  assistance  may  be  valuable. 
It  is  impossible  to  fix  the  sums.  These  must  depend  upon 
the  position  of  the  men  and  the  value  of  their  services; 
and  I  can  only  say  do  not  be  lavish,  but  at  the  same  time 
do  not  hesitate  to  promise  a  sum  that  will  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  useful  men.  Your  best  plan  will  be  to  find  out 
if  you  are  able  what  each  man  expects,  and  to  make  what 


IN   WARSAW  165 

abatement  you  can.  The  only  limit  placed  is  that  you  must 
not  commit  the  royal  treasury  to  a  total  sum  exceeding  ten 
thousand  crowns.  You  will,  I  hope,  find  a  smaller  sum 
suffice.  The  envoy  will  start  at  six  to-morrow  morning.  I 
do  not  know  that  there  are  any  further  instructions  to  give 
you.  You  w^ill  find  details  in  these  written  instructions  as  to 
the  manner  in  which  you  are  to  communicate  from  time  to 
time  the  result  of  your  mission,  and  you  will  receive  orders 
when  to  return." 

Outside  the  house  Charlie  saw  his  new  servant  waiting 
him. 

"You  have  a  horse,  Stanislas?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  have  been  provided  with  one.     I  have  also  a 
brace  of  pistols  and  a  sword." 

"I  hope  you  will  not  have  to  use  them,  but  in  these  dis- 
turbed times  they  are  necessaries." 

"  I  have  better  clothes  than  these,  sir,  if  you  wish  me  to 
look  gay." 

"By  no  means,"  Charlie  replied.  "I  am  going  in  the 
character  of  a  young  Scotchman  on  my  way  to  join  a  rela- 
tive in  business  in  Warsaw,  and  you  accompany  me  in  the 
capacity  of  guide  and  ser\ant.  As  I  should  not  be  in  a 
position  to  pay  high  wages,  the  more  humble  your  appear- 
ance the  better.  ^Ve  start  at  six  in  the  morning.  The 
envoy  will  leave  the  royal  quarters  at  that  hour,  and  we 
travel  with  his  escort.  Join  me  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
that  at  my  hut.  You  had  better  accompany  me  there  now, 
so  that  you  may  know  the  spot.  I  shall  not  require  your 
services  before  we  start,  as  my  soldier  servant  will  saddle 
my  horse  and  have  all  in  readiness." 

Harry  came  to  the  door  of  the  hut  as  he  saw  his  friend 
approaching. 

"\Vell,  Charlie,  is  all  satisfactorily  settled?" 

"Yes,  quite  satisfactorily,  I  think.  That  is  my  new 
servant.  Count  Piper  has  appointed  him;  he  speaks 
Swedish  and  Polish." 


166  A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

"That  will  be  a  great  comfort  to  you,  Charlie.  Jock 
Armstrong,  who  has  not  picked  up  ten  words  of  Swedish 
since  he  joined,  would  have  been  worse  than  useless." 

"  I  have  another  piece  of  news,  Harry,  that  I  am  in  one 
way  very  glad  of,  and  in  another  sorry  for.  I  had  always 
hoped  that  we  should  keep  together,  and  that  just  as  we 
joined  together,  and  were  made  lieutenants  at  the  same 
time,  it  would  always  be  so." 

"You  have  got  another  step?"  Harry  exclaimed.  "I 
am  heartily  glad  of  it.  I  thought  very  likely  you  might 
get  it.  Indeed,  I  was  surprised  that  you  did  not  get  it  at 
once  after  our  fight  with  the  Saxons.  I  am  sure  you  de- 
served it  if  ever  a  fellow  did,  considering  what  it  saved 
us  all." 

"Of  course  it  is  for  that,"  Charlie  replied,  "though  I 
think  it  is  very  absurd.  Count  Piper  said  the  king  would 
have  given  it  to  me  at  once,  only  it  would  have  taken  me 
over  the  heads  of  so  many  men  older  than  myself;  but  he 
considered  that  now  I  am  going  on  a  sort  of  staff  work 
away  from  the  regiment  I  could  be  promoted,  and  he 
thought  too  that  the  title  of  Captain  would  assist  me  in  my 
mission." 

"Of  course  it  will,"  Harry  said  warmly.  "That  is  just 
what  I  told  you,  you  know;  this  business  was  not  quite 
to  your  liking,  but  it  was  a  good  long  step  towards  making 
your  fortune.  Don't  you  think  that  I  shall  be  jealous  of 
your  going  ahead,  for  I  am  not  in  the  least.  I  am  sorry 
you  are  going  away,  for  I  shall  miss  you  terribly;  but  I  am 
quite  content  to  be  with  the  regiment,  and  to  work  my 
way  up  gradually.  As  it  is,  I  am  senior  lieutenant  in  the 
regiment,  and  the  first  battle  may  give  me  my  company; 
though  I  don't  expect  it,  for  I  do  not  think  my  father 
would  wish  the  colonel  to  give  me  the  step  if  it  occurred, 
for  all  the  other  lieutenants  are  older  than  we  are,  though 
they  are  junior  to  us  in  the  regiment,  and  I  feel  sure  that 


IN   WARSAW  167 

he  would  prefer  me  to  remain  for  another  two  or  three  years 
as  lieutenant;  in  fact,  he  said  as  much  to  me  a  short  time 
ago.  Still,  when  I  am  fit  to  command  a  company,  there 
is  no  doubt  I  shall  get  it. 

"Of  course  I  am  sorry  you  are  going,  very  sorry,  Charlie; 
but  even  if  you  go  altogether  on  to  the  staff  I  shall  see  a 
good  deal  of  you,  for  as  the  king  is  always  with  the  army, 
this  must  be  your  head-quarters  still.  I  wonder  how  long 
you  will  be  away.  I  like  the  look  of  the  fellow  who  is 
going  with  you.  It  was  an  honest  open  sort  of  face,  as  far 
as  I  saw  it.  At  any  rate,  it  is  a  comfort  to  think  that  you 
won't  be  absolutely  alone,  especially  among  people  whose 
language  you  don't  know.  Mind,  if  you  are  sending  let- 
ters to  Count  Piper,  be  sure  you  send  a  few  lines  by  the 
same  messenger  to  let  me  know  how  you  are  going  on. 
Not  long  letters,  you  know;  I  expect  you  will  have  your 
hands  pretty  well  full,  but  just  enough  to  give  me  an  idea 
of  how  you  are,  and  what  you  are  doing." 

The  following  morning  Charlie  started.  He  had  said 
good-bye  to  no  one  except  the  colonel,  ]\Ia]or  Jervoise, 
and  Harry,  as  it  was  not  considered  advisable  that  his 
departure  with  the  envoy  for  Warsaw  should  be  talked 
about.  He  only  joined  the  party,  indeed,  after  they  had 
ridden  out  of  the  camp.  He  had  laid  aside  his  uniform, 
and  was  dressed  in  clothes  which  Major  Jervoise  had  pro- 
cured for  him  from  one  of  the  last-joined  recruits  who  had 
but  just  received  his  uniform.  The  lieutenant  command- 
ing the  escort  of  twenty  troopers  rode  up  to  him  as  he 
joined  the  party. 

"  Baron  Seekers  informs  me  that  he  has  given  permission 
to  a  young  Scotchman  and  his  ser\'ant  travelling  to  Warsaw 
to  ride  under  his  protection.  Are  you  the  person  in 
question,  sir?  " 

"It  is  all  right.  Lieutenant  Eberstein,"  Charlie  said  with 
a  smile.     "Don't  you  recognize  me?" 


168  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Of  course — Lieutenant  Carstairs.  I  was  at  the  hunt 
where  you  were  taken  prisoner;  but  I  did  not  expect  to 
see  you  in  this  garb." 

"I  am  going  on  duty,"  Charlie  said,  "and  am  dressed 
according  to  orders.  Do  not  address  me  by  my  name.  I 
am  at  present  Sandy  Anderson,  going  to  join  a  relation  in 
Warsaw." 

"Ah,  ah!  is  that  so?  Going  to  put  your  head  into  the 
den  of  the  Lion  Augustus.  Well,  I  rather  envy  you,  for  it 
is  likely  by  all  accounts  to  be  dull  work  here  for  some 
time.  It  is  hard  to  be  sitting  idle  while  the  Russian  guns 
are  thundering  round  Narva.  Now  I  must  join  the  baron 
again.  Where  would  you  rather  ride — after  us  or  behind 
the  escort?  " 

"Behind  the  escort.  I  think  it  will  be  more  natural, 
and  I  can  chat  more  freely  with  my  servant.  He  is  a 
Lithuanian,  but  speaks  Swedish,  and  I  hope  to  get  some 
information  from  him." 

The  lieutenant  rode  on,  and  as  he  passed  the  troopers 
he  told  them  that  the  two  men  behind  had  the  baron's  per- 
mission to  ride  with  them,  in  order  that  they  might  have 
protection  from  the  bands  of  pillagers  who  were  roaming 
through  the  country. 

"Now,  Stanislas,"  Charlie  said.  "We  can  talk  freely 
together.     Do  you  know  Warsaw?  " 

"  I  have  been  there  several  times,  sir,  but  I  never  stopped 
there  long.     Still,  I  can  find  my  way  about  the  town." 

"When  were  you  there  last?  " 

"Some  two  months  ago.  It  was  just  before  I  entered 
the  Swedish  service." 

"And  what  do  the  people  say  about  the  war? " 

"They  are  bitterly  opposed  to  it.  The  king  entered 
upon  it  without  consulting  the  diet,  which  was  altogether 
contrary  to  the  constitution.  It  is  true  that  the  king  may 
do  so  in  cases  of  emergency,  and  obtain  the  sanction  of 


IN   WARSAW  169 

the  diet  afterwards.  There  was  no  urgency  here,  and  the 
king  made  his  agreement  with  the  czar  and  the  King  of 
Denmark  without  anyone  knowing  of  it.  He  certainly 
obtained  a  sort  of  sanction  from  the  diet  afterwards,  but 
every  one  knows  how  these  things  are  worked.  He  has  a 
strong  party,  of  course,  because  it  is  the  interest  of  a  great 
many  people  to  retain  him  in  power,  as  no  one  can  say 
who  would  be  chosen  to  succeed  him.  But  among  the 
people  in  general,  the  traders  and  the  peasants,  he  is 
hated,  and  so  are  his  Saxon  soldiers.  Suppose  he  had 
gained  a  slice  of  Swedish  territory,  it  would  not  have  bene- 
fited them;  while,  as  it  is,  all  sorts  of  misfortunes  and 
troubles  have  come  upon  the  country,  and  none  can  say 
how  much  greater  may  ensue.  Poland  is  always  split  up 
into  parties.  They  used  to  unite  against  the  Turk,  and 
they  would  unite  again  against  the  Swedes  if  their  country 
was  invaded;  but  as  long  as  King  Charles  keeps  his  army 
beyond  the  frontier,  they  are  too  deeply  engaged  in  their 
own  quarrels  to  think  of  anything  else." 

"Then,  even  if  I  were  known  in  the  city  to  be  in  the 
Swedish  service,  there  would  be  little  danger,  Stanislas?" 

"I  do  not  say  that  at  all,"  the  man  said  gravely.  "In 
the  first  place,  Warsaw  is  held  by  Saxon  soldiers,  who  would 
show  you  but  scant  mercy  were  you  known  to  be  a  Swedish 
officer;  and  in  the  second  place,  the  lower  classes  are  ever 
ready  to  make  tumults;  and,  if  worked  upon  by  the  arch- 
bishop or  the  nobles  of  the  king's  party,  they  would  readily 
enough  tear  a  stranger  to  pieces.  Going  as  you  do  as  a 
Scotchman,  there  is,  I  hope,  little  danger,  especially  if  you 
are  received  into  a  Scottish  household." 

The  journey  passed  without  incident  until  they  were 
within  a  few  miles  of  Warsaw,  when  Charlie,  after  formally 
thanking  Baron  Seekers  for  the  protection  his  escort  had 
afforded  him,  fell  behind  with  his  servant.  Several  parties 
of  armed  men  had  been  met  with,  but  they  knew  better  than 


170  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

to  interfere  with  the  little  body  of  Swedish  cavalry;  while 
in  the  towns  through  which  they  passed,  the  baron  was 
respectfully  received  as  the  envoy  of  the  dreaded  King  of 
Sweden. 

"Is  there  another  gate  to  the  city  on  this  side  of  the 
town  beside  that  by  which  the  Swedes  will  enter?  If  so,  it 
would  be  as  well  to  use  it,  so  that  there  should  seem  to  be 
no  connection  between  us  and  them,"  said  Charlie. 

There  was  another  gate,  and  by  this  they  rode  into 
Warsaw,  at  that  time  a  city  of  far  greater  importance  than 
it  is  at  present.  The  gate  was  unguarded,  and  they  passed 
through  without  question.  The  citizens  were  talking 
excitedly  in  groups,  evidently  discussing  the  question  of 
the  arrival  of  the  Swedish  envoy  and  the  chances  of  peace, 
and  no  attention  was  paid  to  the  travellers,  whose  appear- 
ance denoted  them  to  be  persons  of  no  importance. 
Richly-attired  nobles,  in  costumes  of  almost  oriental  mag- 
nificence, galloped  through  the  streets  on  splendid  horses, 
scattering  the  groups  of  citizens,  and  paying  no  attention 
whatever  to  the  angry  murmurs  that  followed  them.  Charlie 
stopped  at  a  small  inn,  and  there  the  horses  were  put  up. 
Stanislas  made  inquiries  for  the  shop  of  Allan  Ramsay, 
mentioning  that  his  employer  was  a  relation  of  the  Scottish 
merchant,  and  had  come  out  to  be  with  him  until  he  had 
learned  the  language. 

"The  Scots  know  their  business,"  the  landlord  grumbled. 
"They  and  the  French  and  the  Jews  together  have  their 
hand  in  every  one's  pocket.  They  buy  the  cattle  and  grain 
of  the  peasants  for  what  they  choose  to  give  for  them,  and 
send  them  out  of  the  country,  getting  all  the  profits  of  the 
transaction;  while  as  to  the  nobles,  there  is  scarce  one  who 
is  not  deep  in  their  books." 

"Still,  you  could  not  do  without  them,"  Stanislas  said; 
"there  must  be  somebody  to  buy  and  to  sell,  and  as  the 
nobles  won't  do  it,  and  the  peasants  can't,  I  don't  see  that 


IN   WARSAW  171 

the  foreigners  are  to  be  blamed  for  coming  in  and  taking 
the  trade." 

"That  is  true  enough,"  the  landlord  admitted  reluctantly. 
"Still,  there  is  no  doubt  the  country  is  kept  poor,  while 
between  them  these  men  gather  up  the  harvest." 

"Better  that  than  let  it  rot  upon  the  ground,"  Stanislas 
said  unconcernedly;  and  then,  having  obtained  the  name 
of  the  street  where  several  of  the  Scottish  traders  had  places 
of  business,  he  and  Charlie  started  on  foot.  They  were 
not  long  in  finding  the  shop  with  the  sign  of  the  merchant 
swinging  over  the  door. 

"  You  had  better  wait  outside,  Stanislas,  while  I  go  in 
and  see  the  master.  No;  if  he  is  not  in  the  shop  his  men 
will  not  understand  me,  so  come  in  with  me  till  you  see 
that  I  have  met  him,  and  then  go  back  to  the  inn  for  the 
night.  Whether  I  join  you  there  will  depend  upon  the 
warmth  of  my  welcome." 

Two  or  three  young  Poles  were  in  the  shop.  Stanislas 
asked  them  for  Allan  Ramsay,  and  they  replied  that  he  was 
taking  his  evening  meal  upstairs,  whereupon  Charlie  pro- 
duced the  letter  from  Colonel  Jamieson,  and  Stanislas 
requested  one  of  them  to  take  it  up  to  the  merchant. 
Three  minutes  later  the  inner  door  opened,  and  a  tall  man 
with  a  ruddy  face  and  blue  eyes  entered,  holding  the  open 
letter  in  his  hand.  Charlie  took  a  step  forward  to  meet 
him. 

"So  you  are  Sandy  Anderson,"  he  said  heartily,  with  a 
merry  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "my  connection,  it  seems,  and 
the  friend  of  my  dear  class-mate  Jamieson?  Come  up- 
stairs.    Who  is  this  Scotch  looking  lad  with  you?  " 

"He  is  my  ser\'ant  and  interpreter.  His  grandfather 
was  a  Swede,  and  to  him  he  owes  his  fair  hair  and  com- 
plexion. He  is  a  Lithuanian.  He  is  to  be  trusted,  I  hope, 
thoroughly.     He  was  sent  with  me  by — " 

"  Never  mind  names, "  the  Scotchman  said  hastily.     "  We 


172  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

will  talk  about  him  afterwards.  Now  come  upstairs.  Your 
letter  has  thrown  me  quite  into  a  flutter.  Never  say  any- 
thing in  English  before  those  Poles,"  he  said  as  he  left  the 
shop;  "the  fellows  pick  up  languages  as  easily  as  I  can 
drink  whisky  when  I  get  the  chance.  One  of  them  has 
been  with  me  two  years,  and  it  is  quite  likely  he  under- 
stands at  any  rate  something  of  what  is  said.  Here  we 
are." 

He  opened  a  door  and  ushered  Charlie  into  a  large  room 
comfortably  furnished.  His  wife,  a  boy  eight  years  of  age, 
and  a  girl  a  year  older,  were  seated  at  the  table.  "Janet," 
the  merchant  said,  "  this  is  Captain  Carstairs,  alias  Sandy 
Anderson,  a  connection  of  ours,  though  I  cannot  say  for 
certain  of  what  degree." 

"  What  are  you  talking  of,  Allan?  "  she  asked  in  surprise; 
for  her  husband,  after  opening  and  partly  reading  the  letter, 
had  jumped  up  and  run  off  without  saying  a  word. 

"  What  I  say,  wife.  This  gentleman  is,  for  the  present, 
Sandy  Anderson,  who  has  come  out  to  learn  the  business 
and  language  with  the  intent  of  some  day  entering  into 
partnership  with  me;  also,  which  is  more  to  the  point,  he 
is  a  friend  of  my  good  friend  Jock  Jamieson,  whom  you 
remember  well  in  the  old  days." 

"  I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  see  any  friend  of  Jock  Jamie- 
son,"  Janet  Ramsay  said  warmly,  holding  out  her  hand  to 
Charlie,  "  though  I  do  not  in  the  least  understand  what  my 
husband  is  talking  about,  or  what  your  name  really  is." 

"  My  name  is  Carstairs,  madam.  I  am  a  captain  in  the 
Swedish  service,  and  am  here  on  a  mission  for  King  Charles. 
Colonel  Jamieson,  for  he  is  now  colonel  of  the  regiment  to 
which  I  belong — " 

"What!"  the  merchant  exclaimed;  "do  you  mean  to 
say  that  our  Jock  Jamieson  is  a  colonel?  Well,  well,  who 
would  have  thought  he  would  have  climbed  the  tree  so 
quickly?" 


IN   WARSAW  173 

''It  is  a  regiment  entirely  of  Scotch  and  Englishmen," 
Charlie  said;  "and  he  was  promoted  to  take  its  command 
only  a  short  time  since." 

"Well,  please  to  sit  down  and  join  us,"  Mrs.  Ramsay 
said.  "  It  is  bad  manners  indeed  to  keep  you  talking  while 
the  meat  is  getting  cold  on  the  table.  When  you  have 
finished,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  question  you." 

While  the  meal  was  going  on,  however,  many  questions 
were  asked  as  to  Colonel  Jamieson,  the  regiment,  and  its 
officers. 

"As  soon  as  matters  are  more  settled,"  the  merchant 
said,  "  I  will  give  myself  a  holiday,  and  Janet  and  I  will  go 
and  spend  a  few  days  with  Jock.  Many  of  the  names  of 
the  officers  are  well  known  to  me,  and  two  or  three  of  the 
captains  were  at  Glasgow  College  with  Jock  and  myself.  It 
will  be  like  old  times  to  have  four  or  five  of  us  talking  over 
the  wild  doings  we  had  together." 

The  supper  over  the  children  were  sent  off  to  bed. 
Allan  Ramsay  lit  a  long  pipe.  A  bottle  of  wine  and  two 
glasses  were  placed  on  the  table,  and  Mrs.  Ramsay  with- 
drew to  see  after  domestic  matters  and  prepare  a  room  for 
Charlie. 

"Now,  lad,  tell  me  all  about  it/'  Allan  Ramsay  said. 
"Jock  tells  me  you  are  here  on  a  mission  which  he  would 
leave  it  to  yourself  to  explain;  but  it  is  no  business  of 
mine,  and  if  you  would  rather  keep  it  to  yourself  I  will 
ask  no  questions." 

"  There  is  no  secret  about  it  as  far  as  you  are  concerned, 
Mr.  Ramsay,  for  it  is  to  you  and  to  other  merchants  here 
that  I  have  come  to  talk  it  over;  "  and  he  then  went  fully 
into  the  subject. 

The  Scotchman  sat  smoking  his  pipe  in  silence  for  some 
minutes  after  he  had  concluded.  "We  do  not  much 
meddle  with  politics  here.  We  have  neither  voice  nor 
part  in  the  making  of  kings  or  of  laws,  and  beyond  that 


174  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

we  like  to  have  a  peace-loving  king,  it  matters  little  to  us 
whom  the  diet  may  set  up  over  us.  If  we  were  once  to 
put  the  tips  of  our  fingers  into  Polish  affairs  we  might  give 
up  all  thought  of  trade.  They  are  for  ever  intriguing  and 
plotting,  except  when  they  are  fighting;  and  it  would  be 
weary  work  to  keep  touch  with  it  al4,  much  less  to  take 
part  in  it.  It  is  our  business  to  buy  and  to  sell,  and  so 
that  both  parties  come  to  us  it  matters  Mttle;  one's  money 
is  as  good  as  the  other.  If  I  had  one  set  of  creditors 
deeper  in  my  books  than  another,  I  might  wish  their  party 
to  gain  the  day,  for  it  would,  maybe,  set  them  up  in  funds, 
and  I  might  get  my  money;  but  as  it  is,  it  matters  little. 
There  is  not  a  customer  I  have  but  is  in  my  debt;  money 
is  always  scarce  with  them;  for  they  are  reckless  and  ex- 
travagant, keeping  a  horde  of  idle  loons  about  them,  spend- 
ing as  much  money  on  their  own  attire  and  that  of  their 
wives  as  would  keep  a  whole  Scotch  clan  in  victuals.  But 
if  they  cannot  pay  in  money,  they  can  pay  in  corn  or  in 
cattle,  in  wine  or  in  hides. 

"  I  do  not  know  which  they  are  fondest  of — plotting,  or 
fighting,  or  feasting;  and  yet,  reckless  as  they  are,  they 
are  people  to  like.  If  they  do  sell  their  votes  for  money, 
it  is  not  a  Scotchman  that  should  throw  it  in  their  teeth; 
for  there  is  scarce  a  Scotch  noble  since  the  days  of  Bruce 
who  has  not  been  ready  to  sell  himself  for  English  gold. 
Our  own  Highlanders  are  as  fond  of  fighting  as  the  Poles, 
and  their  chiefs  are  as  profuse  in  hospitality  and  as  reck- 
less and  spendthrift.  But  the  Poles  have  their  virtues,  they 
love  their  country  and  are  ready  to  die  for  her.  They  are 
courteous  and  even  chivalrous,  they  are  hospitable  to  an 
excess,  they  are  good  husbands  and  kindly  masters,  they 
are  recklessly  brave;  and  if  they  are  unduly  fond  of  finery, 
I  who  supply  so  many  of  them  should  be  the  last  to  find 
fault  with  them  on  that  score.  They  are  proud  and  look 
down  upon  us  traders,  but  that  does  not  hurt  us;  and  if 


IN  WARSAW  175 

they  were  to  take  to  trading  themselves,  there  would  be  no 
place  for  us  here.  But  this  has  nothing  to  do  with  our 
present  purpose. 

"Certainly  if  it  was  a  question  of  Polish  affairs,  neither 
the  foreign  nor  the  Jewish  merchants  here  would  move  a 
finger  one  way  or  the  other.  We  have  everything  to  lose 
and  nothing  to  gain.  Suppose  we  took  sides  with  one  of 
the  parties,  and  the  other  got  the  upper  hand.  Why,  they 
might  make  ordinances  hampering  us  in  every  way,  laying 
heavy  taxes  on  us,  forbidding  the  export  of  cattle  or  horses, 
and  making  our  lives  burdensome.  True,  if  they  drove  us 
out  they  would  soon  have  to  repeal  the  law,  for  all  trade 
would  be  at  an  end.  But  that  would  be  too  late  for  many 
of  us.  However,  I  do  not  say  that  at  the  present  time 
many  would  not  be  disposed  to  do  what  they  could  against 
Augustus  of  Saxony.  We  are  accustomed  to  civil  wars; 
and  though  these  may  cause  misery  and  ruin  in  the  districts 
where  they  take  place,  they  do  not  touch  us  here  in  the 
capital.  But  this  is  a  different  affair.  Augustus  has,  with- 
out reason  or  provocation,  brought  down  your  fiery  King 
of  Sweden  upon  us;  and  if  he  continues  on  the  throne  we 
may  hear  the  Swedish  cannon  thundering  outside  our 
walls,  and  may  have  the  city  taken  and  sacked.  Therefore 
for  once  politics  become  our  natural  business.  But  though 
you  may  find  many  well-wishers,  I  doubt  if  you  can  obtain 
any  substantial  aid.  With  Saxon  troops  in  the  town,  and 
the  nobles  divided,  there  is  no  hope  of  a  successful  rising 
in  Warsaw." 

"The  king  did  not  think  of  that,"  Charlie  said;  "his 
opinion  was  that  were  it  evident  that  the  citizens  of  Warsaw 
were  strongly  opposed  to  Augustus  of  Saxony,  it  would  have 
a  great  moral  effect,  and  that  perhaps  they  might  influence 
some  of  the  nobles  who,  as  you  say,  are  deeply  in  their 
books,  or  upon  whose  estates  they  may  hold  mortgages,  to 
join  the  party  against  the  king." 


176  A    JACOBITE   EXILE 

"They  might  do  something  that  way,"  Allan  Ramsay 
agreed.  "  Of  course  I  have  no  money  out  on  mortgages. 
I  want  badly  enough  all  the  money  I  can  lay  hands  on  in 
my  own  business.  Giving  credit,  as  we  have  to,  and  often 
very  long  credit,  it  requires  a  large  capital  to  carry  on 
trade.  But  the  Jews,  who  no  doubt  do  hold  large  mort- 
gages on  the  land,  cannot  exert  much  power.  They  can- 
not hold  land  themselves,  and  were  one  of  them  to  venture 
to  sell  the  property  of  any  noble  of  influence  he  would  be 
ruined.  The  whole  class  would  shrink  from  him,  and  like 
enough  there  would  be  a  tumult  got  up,  his  house  would 
be  burned  over  his  head,  and  he  and  his  family  murdered. 
Still,  as  far  as  popular  opinion  goes,  something  might  be 
done.  At  any  rate  I  will  get  some  of  my  friends  here 
to-morrow,  and  introduce  you  to  them  and  talk  it  over. 
But  we  must  be  careful,  for  Augustus  has  a  strong  party 
here,  and  were  it  suspected  that  you  are  a  Swedish  officer 
it  would  go  very  hard  with  you.  To-morrow  you  must 
fetch  your  servant  here.  I  have  already  sent  round  to  the 
inn,  and  you  will  find  your  valises  in  your  room.  You 
said  you  could  rely  thoroughly  upon  him?  " 

"Yes,  he  was  handed  over  to  me  by  Count  Piper  himself; 
and  moreover,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  him,  I  am  myself 
confident  that  he  can  be  trusted.  He  is  of  Swedish  de- 
scent, and  is,  I  think,  a  very  honest  fellow." 

For  a  fortnight  Charlie  remained  at  Allan  Ramsay's, 
and  then,  in  spite  of  the  pressing  entreaties  of  his  host 
and  hostess,  took  a  lodging  near  them.  He  had  by  this 
time  seen  a  good  many  of  the  leading  traders  of  the  town. 
The  Scotch  and  Frenchmen  had  all  heartily  agreed  with 
his  argument  that  it  was  for  the  benefit  of  Poland,  and 
especially  for  that  of  Warsaw,  that  Augustus  of  Saxony 
should  be  replaced  by  another  king  who  would  be  accepta- 
ble to  Charles  of  Sweden;  but  all  were  of  opinion  that  but 
little  could  be  done  by  them  towards  bringing  about  this 


IN   WARSAW  177 

result.  With  the  Jewish  traders  his  success  was  less  de- 
cided. They  admitted  that  it  would  be  a  great  misfortune 
were  Warsaw  taken  by  the  Swedes,  but  as  Poles  they  re- 
tained their  confidence  in  the  national  army,  and  were 
altogether  sceptical  that  a  few  thousand  Swedes  could  with- 
stand the  host  that  could  be  put  in  the  field  against  them. 
Several  of  them  pointedly  asked  what  interest  they  had  in 
the  matter,  and  to  some  of  these  Charlie  was  obliged  to 
use  his  power  of  promising  sums  of  money  in  case  of 
success. 

There  were  one  or  two,  however,  of  whom  he  felt  doubt- 
ful. Chief  among  these  was  Ben  Soloman  ^vluller,  a  man 
of  great  influence  in  the  Jewish  community.  This  man  had 
placed  so  large  a  value  upon  his  senices  that  Charlie  did 
not  feel  justified  in  promising  him  such  a  sum.  He  did 
not  like  the  man's  face,  and  did  not  rely  upon  the  promises 
of  silence  he  had  given  before  the  mission  was  revealed  to 
him.  It  was  for  this  reason  principally  that  he  determined 
to  go  into  lodgings.  Should  he  be  denounced,  serious 
trouble  might  fall  upon  Allan  Ramsay,  and  it  would  at  least 
minimize  this  risk  were  he  not  living  at  his  house  when  he 
was  arrested.  Ramsay  himself  was  disposed  to  make  light 
of  the  danger. 

"  I  believe  myself  that  Ben  Soloman  is  an  old  rogue,  but 
he  is  not  a  fool.  He  cannot  help  seeing  that  the  position 
of  the  king  is  precarious,  and  were  he  to  cause  your  arrest 
he  might  get  little  thanks  and  no  profit,  while  he  would  be 
incurring  the  risk  of  the  vengeance  of  Charles  should  he 
ever  become  master  of  the  town.  Did  he  have  you  arrested 
he  himself  would  be  forced  to  appear  as  a  witness  against 
you,  and  this  he  could  hardly  do  without  the  matter  becom- 
ing publicly  known.  I  do  not  say,  however,  that  if  he 
could  curry  favour  with  the  king's  party  by  doing  you  harm 
without  appearing  in  the  matter,  he  would  hesitate  for  a 
moment.     Even  if  you  were  arrested  here,  I  doubt  whether 


178  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

any  great  harm  would  befall  me,  for  all  the  Scotch  merchants 
would  make  common  cause  with  me,  and  although  we  have 
no  political  power,  we  have  a  good  deal  of  influence  one 
way  or  another,  and  Augustus  at  this  time  would  not  care  to 
make  fresh  enemies.  However,  lad,  I  will  not  further  dis- 
pute your  decision.  Were  I  quite  alone  I  would  not  let 
you  leave  me  so  long  as  you  stop  in  this  city  without  taking 
great  offence,  but  with  a  wife  and  two  children  a  man  is 
more  timid  than  if  he  had  but  himself  to  think  of." 

Charlie  therefore  moved  into  the  lodging,  but  every  day 
he  went  for  three  or  four  hours  to  the  shop,  where  he  kept 
up  his  assumed  character  by  aiding  to  keep  the  ledgers, 
and  in  learning  from  the  Polish  assistants  the  value  of  the 
various  goods  in  the  shop.  One  evening  he  was  returning 
after  supper  to  his  lodging  when  Stanislas  met  him. 
■  "I  observed  three  or  four  evil-looking  rascals  casting 
glances  at  the  house  to-day,  and  there  are  several  rough- 
looking  fellows  hanging  about  the  house  this  evening.  I 
do  not  know  if  it  means  anything,  but  I  thought  I  would  let 
you  know." 

"I  think  it  must  be  only  your  fancy,  Stanislas;  I  might 
be  arrested  by  the  troops  were  I  denounced,  but  I  apprehend 
no  danger  from  men  of  the  class  you  speak  of.  However, 
if  we  should  be  interfered  with,  I  fancy  we  could  deal  with 
several  rascals  of  that  sort." 

At  the  corner  of  his  street  three  or  four  men  were  stand- 
ing. One  of  them  moved  as  he  passed  and  pushed  rudely 
against  him.,  sending  his  hat  into  the  gutter.  Then  as  his 
face  was  exposed  the  f elloAv  exclaimed : 

" It  is  he,  death  to  the  Swedish  spy!  " 

They  were  the  last  words  he  uttered.  Charlie's  sword 
flew  from  its  scabbard,  and  with  a  rapid  pass  he  ran  the 
man  through  the  body.  The  others  drew  instantly  and  fell 
upon  Charlie  with  fury,  keeping  up  the  shout  of,  "  Death  to 
the  Swedish  spy!"     It  was  evidently  a   signal,  for   men 


IN   WARSAW  179 

darted  out  of  doorways  and  came  running  down  the  street 
repeating  the  cry. 

"  Go,  Stanislas !  "  Charlie  shouted  as  he  defended  himself 
against  a  dozen  assailants.  "Tell  Ramsay  what  has  hap- 
pened; you  can  do  no  good  here."  A  moment  later  he 
received  a  tremendous  blow  on  the  back  of  the  head  from 
an  iron-bound  cudgel,  and  fell  senseless,  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  X 


IN   EVIL   PLIGHT 

WHEN  Charlie  recovered  his  senses  he  found  himself 
lying  bound  in  a  room  lighted  by  a  dim  lamp,  which 
sufficed  only  to  show  that  the  beams  were  blackened  by 
smoke  and  age,  and  the  walls  constructed  of  rough  stone- 
work. There  was,  so  far  as  he  could  see,  no  furniture  what- 
ever in  it,  and  he  imagined  that  it  was  an  underground  cellar, 
used  perhaps  at  some  time  or  other  as  a  store-room.  It 
was  some  time  before  his  brain  was  clear  enough  to  under- 
stand what  had  happened,  or  how  he  had  got  into  his  pres- 
ent position.  Gradually  the  facts  came  back  to  him,  and 
he  was  able  to  think  coherently  in  spite  of  a  splitting  head- 
ache and  a  dull  throbbing  pain  at  the  back  of  his  head. 

"I  was  knocked  down  and  stunned,"  he  said  to  himself 
at  last.  "  I  wonder  what  became  of  Stanislas;  I  hope  he 
got  away.  This  does  not  look  like  a  prison.  I  should  say 
that  it  was  a  cellar  in  the  house  of  one  of  the  gang  that  set 
upon  me.  It  is  evident  that  some  one  has  betrayed  me, 
probably  that  Jew,  Ben  Soloman.  What  have  they  brought 
me  here  for?  I  wonder  what  are  they  going  to  do  with 
me."  His  head,  however,  hurt  him  too  much  for  him  to 
continue  the  strain  of  thought,  and  after  a  while  he  dozed 
off  to  sleep.  When  he  awoke  a  faint  light  was  streaming 
in  through  a  slit  two  or  three  inches  wide,  high  up  on  the 

180 


IN   EVIL   PLIGHT  181 

wall.  He  still  felt  faint  and  dizzy  from  the  effects  of  the 
blow.  Parched  with  thirst  he  tried  to  call  out  for  water, 
but  scarce  a  sound  came  from  his  lips. 

Gradually  the  room  seemed  to  darken  and  become  indis- 
tinct, and  he  again  lapsed  into  insensibility.  When  he 
again  became  conscious,  some  one  was  pouring  water 
between  his  lips,  and  he  heard  a  voice  speaking  loudly  and 
angrily.  He  had  picked  up  a  few  words  of  Polish  from 
Stanislas — the  names  of  common  things,  the  words  to  use 
in  case  he  lost  his  way,  how  to  ask  for  food  and  for  stabling 
for  a  horse,  but  he  was  unable  to  understand  what  was  said. 
He  judged,  however,  that  some  one  was  furiously  upbraiding 
the  man  who  was  giving  him  water,  for  the  latter  now  and 
then  muttered  excuses. 

"He  is  blowing  the  fellow  up  for  having  so  nearly  let  me 
slip  through  their  fingers,"  he  said  to  himself.     "Probably 
they  want  to  question  me,  and  find  out  who  I  have  been 
in  communication  with.     They  shall  get  nothing  at  present 
anyhow."     He  kept  his  eyes  resolutely  closed.     Presently 
he  heard  a  door  open  and  another  man  come  in.     A  few 
words  were  exchanged,  and  this  time  wine  instead  of  water 
was  poured  down  his  throat.     Then  he  was  partly  lifted  up, 
and  felt  a  cooling  sensation  at  the  back  of  his  head.     Some 
bandages  were  passed  round  it  and  he  was  laid  down  again. 
There  was  some  more  conversation,  then  a  door  opened 
and  tvvo  of  the  men  went  out;  the  third  walked  back  to 
him,  muttering  angrily  to  himself.     Charlie  felt  sure  that 
he  had  been  moved  from  the  place  in  which  he  had  been 
the  evening  before,  his  bonds  had  been  loosed,  and  he  was 
lying  on  straw  and  not  on  the  bare  ground.     Opening  his 
eyelids  the  slightest  possible  degree,  he  was  confirmed  in 
his  belief  by  seeing  that  there  was  much  more  light  than 
could  have  entered  the  cellar.     He  dared  not  look  farther, 
and  in  a  short  time  fell  into  a  far  more  refreshing  sleep 
than  that  he  before  had. 


182  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  next  time  he  woke  his  brain  was  clearer,  though 
there  was  still  a  dull  sense  of  pain  where  he  had  been 
struck.  Without  opening  his  eyes  he  listened  attentively. 
There  was  some  sound  of  movement  in  the  room,  and  pres- 
ently he  heard  a  faint  regular  breathing.  This  continued 
for  some  time,  and  he  then  heard  a  sort  of  grunt.  "  He 
is  asleep,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  opening  his  eyes 
slightly  looked  round.  He  was  in  another  chamber.  It 
was  grimy  with  dirt,  and  almost  as  unfurnished  as  the  cel- 
lar, but  there  was  a  window  through  which  the  sun  was 
streaming  brightly.  He  himself  lay  upon  a  heap  of  straw. 
At  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  was  a  similar  heap,  and 
upon  this  a  man  was  sitting,  leaning  against  the  wall  with 
his  chin  dropped  on  his  chest. 

The  thought  of  escape  at  once  occurred  to  Charlie. 
Could  he  reach  the  window,  which  was  without  glass  and 
a  mere  opening  in  the  wall,  without  awakening  his  guard, 
he  could  drop  out  and  make  for  Allan  Ramsay's.  As  soon 
as  he  tried  to  move,  however,  he  found  that  this  idea  was 
for  the  present  impracticable.  He  felt  too  weak  to  lift  his 
head,  and  at  the  slight  rustle  of  straw  caused  by  the  at- 
tempt, the  man  opposite  roused  himself  with  a  start.  He 
gave  another  slight  movement,  and  then  again  lay  quiet 
with  his  eyes  closed.  The  man  came  across  and  spoke, 
but  he  made  no  sign.  Some  more  wine  was  poured  be- 
tween his  lips,  then  the  man  returned  to  his  former  posi- 
tion and  all  was  quiet.  As  he  lay  thinking  his  position 
over,  Charlie  thought  that  those  who  had  set  his  assailants 
to  their  work  must  have  had  two  objects — the  one  to  put  a 
stop  to  his  efforts  to  organize  an  agitation  against  the 
king,  the  second  to  find  out  by  questioning  him  who  were 
those  with  whom  he  had  been  in  communication,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  arrested  and  their  property  confiscated. 
He  could  see  no  other  reason  why  his  life  should  be  spared 
by  his  assailants,  for  it  would  have  been  easier  and  far  less 


m  EVIL   PLIGHT  183 

troublesome  to  run  him  through  as  he  lay  senseless  on  the 
ground  than  to  carry  him  off  and  keep  him  a  prisoner. 

This  idea  confirmed  the  suspicion  he  had  first  enter- 
tained, that  the  assault  had  been  organized  by  Ben  Solo- 
man.  He  could  have  no  real  interest  in  the  king,  for  he 
was  ready  to  join  in  the  organization  against  him  could  he 
have  obtained  his  own  terms.  He  might  intend  to  gain 
credit  with  the  royal  party  by  claiming  to  have  stopped  a 
dangerous  plot,  and  at  the  same  time  to  benefit  himself  by 
bringing  about  the  expulsion  or  death  of  many  of  his  for- 
eign trade  rivals.  For  this  end  the  Jew  would  desire  that 
he  should  be  taken  alive,  in  order  to  serve  as  a  witness 
against  the  others.  "  He  will  not  get  any  names  from  me," 
he  said;  "besides,  none  of  them  have  promised  to  take 
any  active  measures  against  Augustus.  I  did  not  ask  them 
to  do  so.  There  is  no  high  treason  in  trying  to  influence 
public  opinion.  Still,  it  is  likely  enough  that  the  Jew 
wants  to  get  me  to  acknowledge  that  an  insurrection  was 
intended,  and  will  offer  me  my  freedom  if  I  will  give  such 
testimony.  As  I  am  altogether  in  his  power,  the  only 
thing  to  do  is  to  pretend  to  be  a  great  deal  worse  than  I 
am,  and  so  to  gain  time  till  I  am  strong  enough  to  try  to 
get  away  from  this  place." 

All  this  was  not  arrived  at  at  once,  but  was  the  result  of 
half-dreamy  cogitation  extending  over  hours,  and  inter- 
rupted by  short  snatches  of  sleep.  He  was  conscious  that 
from  time  to  time  some  one  came  into  the  room  and  spoke 
to  his  guard,  and  that  three  or  four  times  wine  was  poured 
between  his  lips.  Once  he  was  raised  up  and  fresh  cloths 
dipped  in  water  and  bandages  applied  to  his  head.  In 
the  evening  tAvo  or  three  men  came  in,  and  he  believed 
that  he  recognized  the  voice  of  one  of  them  as  that  of  Ben 
Soloman.  One  of  the  men  addressed  him  suddenly  and 
sharply  in  Swedish. 

"How  are  you  feeling,  are  you  in  pain?  We  have  come 
here  to  give  you  your  freedom." 


184  A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

Charlie  was  on  his  guard,  and  remained  silent  with  his 
eyes  closed. 

"It  is  of  no  use,"  Ben  Soloman  said  in  his  own  lan- 
guage, "the  fellow  is  still  insensible.  The  clumsy  fool 
who  hit  him  would  fare  badly  if  I  knew  who  he  was.  I 
said  that  he  was  to  be  knocked  down,  silenced,  and  brought 
here;  and  here  he  is,  of  no  more  use  than  if  he  were 
dead." 

"He  will  doubtless  come  round  in  time,"  another  said 
in  an  apologetic  tone.  "We  will  bring  him  round  if  you 
will  have  patience,  Ben  Soloman." 

"Well,  well,"  the  other  replied,  "a  few  days  will  make 
no  difference;  but  mind  that  he  is  well  guarded  directly 
he  begins  to  gain  strength.  I  will  get  him  out  of  the  town 
as  soon  as  I  can.  Allan  Ramsay  has  laid  a  complaint  be- 
fore the  mayor  that  his  countryman  has  been  attacked  by  a 
band  of  ruffians,  and  has  been  either  killed  or  carried  off 
by  them.     It  is  a  pity  that  servant  of  his  was  not  killed." 

"We  thought  he  was  dead.  Two  or  three  of  us  looked 
at  him,  and  I  could  have  sworn  that  life  was  out  of  him." 

"  Well,  then,  you  would  have  sworn  what  was  not  true, 
for  he  managed  to  crawl  to  Ramsay's,  where  he  lies,  I  am 
told,  dangerously  ill,  and  an  official  has  been  to  him  to 
obtain  his  account  of  the  fray.  It  was  a  bungled  business 
from  beginning  to  end." 

"  We  could  not  have  calculated  on  the  fellows  making 
such  a  resistance,"  the  other  grumbled.  "This  one  seemed 
but  a  lad,  and  yet  he  killed  three  of  our  party,  and  the 
other  killed  one.  A  nice  business  that;  and  you  will  have 
to  pay  their  friends  well,  Ben  Soloman,  for  I  can  tell  you 
there  is  grumbling  at  the  price,  which  they  say  was  not 
enough  for  the  work,  which  you  told  them  would  be  easy." 

"It  ought  to  have  been,"  the  Jew  said  sullenly;  "fifteen 
or  twenty  men  to  overpower  a  lad.  What  could  have  been 
more  easy?     However,  I  will  do  something  for  the  friends 


IN  EVIL   PLIGHT  185 

of  the  men  who  were  fools  enough  to  get  themselves  killed, 
but  if  I  hear  any  grumbling  from  the  others  it  will  be  worse 
for  them;  there  is  not  one  I  could  not  lay  by  the  heels  in 
jail.  Well,  as  to  this  young  fellow,  I  shall  not  come  again, 
I  do  not  want  to  be  noticed  coming  here.  Keep  a  shrewd 
look-out  after  him." 

"There  is  no  fear  about  that,"  the  man  said;  "it  will  be 
long  ere  he  is  strong  enough  to  walk." 

"  When  he  gets  better,  we  will  have  him  taken  away  to  a 
safe  place  outside  the  town;  once  there,  I  can  make  him 
say  what  I  like." 

"And  if  he  does  not  get  well?  " 

"In  that  case  we  will  take  away  his  body  and  bury  it 
outside.     I  will  see  to  that  myself." 

"I  understand,"  the  other  sneered.  "You  don't  want 
anyone  to  know  where  it  is  buried,  so  as  to  be  able  to  bring 
it  up  against  you." 

"You  attend  to  your  own  business,"  the  Jew  said  angrily. 
"Why  should  I  care  about  what  they  say?  At  any  rate 
there  are  some  matters  between  you  and  me,  and  there  is 
no  fear  of  your  speaking." 

"Not  until  the  time  comes  when  I  may  think  it  worth 
my  while  to  throw  away  my  life  in  order  to  secure  your 
death,  Ben  Soloman." 

"It  is  of  no  use  talking  like  that,"  the  Jew  said  quietly; 
"we  are  useful  to  each  other.  I  have  saved  your  life  from 
the  gibbet,  you  have  done  the  work  I  required.  Between 
us,  it  is  worse  than  childish  to  threaten  in  the  present  mat- 
ter. I  do  not  doubt  that  you  will  do  your  business  well, 
and  you  know  that  you  will  be  well  paid  for  it;  what  can 
either  of  us  require  more?  " 

Charlie  would  have  given  a  good  deal  to  understand  the 
conversation,  and  he  would  have  been  specially  glad  to 
learn  that  Stanislas  had  escaped  with  his  life;  for  he  had 
taken   a   great   fancy  to  the  young   Lithuanian,  and  was 


186  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

grieve^i  by  the  thought  that  he  had  probably  lost  his  life  in 
his  defence. 

Three  days  passed.  His  head  was  now  clear  and  his 
appetite  returning,  and  he  found,  by  quietly  moving  at 
night  when  his  guard  was  asleep,  that  he  was  gaining 
strength.  The  third  day  there  was  some  talking  among 
several  men  who  entered  the  room,  then  he  was  lifted,  wrapt 
up  in  some  cloths,  and  put  into  a  large  box.  He  felt  this 
being  hoisted  up,  it  was  carried  downstairs,  and  then  placed 
on  something.  A  minute  afterwards  he  felt  a  vibration, 
followed  by  a  swaying  and  bumping,  and  guessed  at  once 
that  he  was  on  a  cart,  and  was  being  removed  either  to 
prison  or  to  some  other  place  of  confinement;  the  latter  he 
considered  more  probable.  The  journey  was  a  long  one; 
he  had  no  means  of  judging  time,  but  he  thought  that  it 
must  have  lasted  two  or  three  hours.  Then  the  rumbling 
ceased,  the  box  was  lifted  down,  and  carried  a  short  dis- 
tance, then  the  lid  was  opened  and  he  was  again  laid  down 
on  some  straw.  He  heard  the  sound  of  cart  wheels,  and 
knew  that  the  vehicle  on  which  he  had  been  brought  was 
being  driven  away.  He  was  now  so  hungry  that  he  felt  he 
could  no  longer  maintain  the  appearance  of  insensibility. 
Two  men  were  talking  in  the  room,  and  when  for  a  moment 
their  conversation  ceased,  he  gave  a  low  groan  and  then 
opened  his  eyes.  They  came  at  once  to  his  bedside  with 
exclamations  of  satisfaction. 

"How  do  you  feel?"  one  asked  in  Swedish. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone.  "Where  am  I, 
how  did  I  get  here?  " 

"You  are  with  friends;  never  mind  how  you  got  here. 
You  have  been  ill,  but  you  will  soon  get  well  again.  Some 
one  hit  you  on  the  head,  and  we  picked  you  up  and  brought 
you  here." 

"I  am  weak  and  faint/'  Charlie  murmured;  "have  you 
any  food  ?  " 


EN   EVIL   PLIGHT 


187 


"You  shall  have  some  food  directly  it  is  prepared.  Take 
a  drink  of  wine,  and  see  if  you  can  eat  a  bit  of  bread  while 
the  broth  is  preparing." 

Charlie  drank  a  little  of  the  wine  that  was  put  to  his  lips, 
and  then  broke  up  the  bread  and  eat  it  crumb  by  crumb, 
as  if  it  were  a  great  effort  to  do  so,  although  he  had  diffi- 
culty in  restraining  himself  from  eating  it  voraciously. 
When  he  had  finished  it  he  closed  his  eyes  again,  as  if 
sleep  had  overpowered  him.  An  hour  later  there  was  a 
touch  on  his  shoulder. 

"Here  is  some  broth,  young  fellow;  wake  up  and  drink 
that,  it  will  do  you  good." 

Charlie,  as  before,  slowly  sipped  down  the  broth,  and 
then  really  fell  asleep,  for  the  jolting  had  fatigued  him  ter- 
ribly. It  was  evening  when  he  awoke ;  two  men  were  sit- 
ting at  a  blazing  fire.  When  he  moved  one  of  them 
brought  him  another  basin  of  broth,  and  fed  him  with  a 
spoon.  Charlie  had  been  long  enough  in  the  country  to 
know  by  the  appearance  of  the  room  that  he  was  in  a  peas- 
ant's hut.  He  wondered  why  he  had  been  brought  there, 
and  concluded  that  it  must  be  because  Allan  Ramsay  had 
set  so  stringent  a  search  on  foot  in  the  cit}^  that  they 
considered  it  necessary  to  take  him  away. 

"They  wall  not  keep  me  here  long,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  I  am  sure  that  I  could  walk  now,  and  in  another  two  or 
three  days  I  shall  be  strong  enough  to  go  some  distance. 
That  soup  has  done  me  a  deal  of  good;  I  believe  half  my 
weakness  is  from  hunger."  He  no  longer  kept  up  the 
appearance  of  unconsciousness,  and  in  the  morning  put 
various  questions  to  the  man  who  spoke  Swedish  as  to  what 
had  happened  and  how  he  came  to  be  there.  This  man 
was  evidently  from  his  dress  and  appearance  a  Jew,  while 
the  other  was  as  unmistakably  a  peasant,  a  rough  power- 
fully-built man  with  an  evil  face.  The  Jew  gave  him  but 
little  information,  but  told  him  that  in  a  day  or  two,  when 


188  A    JACOBITE    EXILE 

he  was  strong  enough  to  listen,  a  friend  would  come  who 
would  tell  him  all  about  it.  On  the  third  day  he  heard  the 
sound  of  an  approaching  horse,  and  was  not  surprised 
when,  after  a  conversation  in  a  low  tone  outside,  Ben 
Soloman  entered.  Charlie  was  now  much  stronger,  but  he 
had  carefully  abstained  from  showing  any  marked  improve- 
ment, speaking  always  in  a  voice  a  little  above  a  whisper, 
and  allowing  the  men  to  feed  him  after  making  one  or  two 
pretended  attempts  to  convey  the  spoon  to  his  mouth. 

"Well,  Master  Englishman,"  Ben  Soloman  said,  as  he 
came  up  to  his  bedside,  "what  do  you  think  of  things?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  what  to  think,"  Charlie  said  feebly.  "  I 
do  not  know  where  I  am,  or  why  I  am  here.  I  remember 
that  there  was  a  fray  in  the  street,  and  I  suppose  I  was  hurt, 
but  why  was  I  brought  here  instead  of  being  taken  to  my 
lodgings?" 

"  Because  you  would  be  no  use  to  me  in  your  lodging, 
and  you  may  be  a  great  deal  of  use  to  me  here,"  Ben 
Soloman  said.  "You  know  you  endeavoured  to  entrap  me 
into  a  plot  against  the  king's  life." 

Charlie  shook  his  head  and  looked  wonderingly  at  the 
speaker.  "No,  no,"  he  said,  "there  was  no  plot  against 
the  king's  life;  I  only  asked  if  you  would  use  your  influ- 
ence among  your  friends  to  turn  popular  feeling  against 
Augustus." 

"Nothing  of  the  kind,"  the  Jew  said  harshly.  "You 
wanted  him  removed  by  poison  or  the  knife.  There  is  no 
mistake  about  that,  and  that  is  what  I  am  going  to  swear, 
and  what,  if  you  want  to  save  your  life,  you  will  have  to 
swear  too;  and  you  will  have  to  give  the  names  of  all  con- 
cerned in  the  plot,  and  to  swear  that  they  were  all  agreed 
to  bring  about  the  death  of  the  king.  Now  you  understand 
why  you  were  brought  here.  You  are  miles  away  from 
another  house,  and  you  may  shout  and  scream  as  loud  as 
you  like.     You  are  in  my  power." 


IN    EVIL   PLIGHT  189 

"I  would  die  rather  than  make  a  false  accusation." 

"Listen  to  me,"  the  Jew  said  sternly.  "You  are  weak 
now,  too  weak  to  suffer  much,  this  day  week  I  will  return, 
and  then  you  had  best  change  your  mind  and  sign  a  docu- 
ment I  shall  bring  with  me,  with  the  full  particulars  of  the 
plot  to  murder  the  king,  and  the  names  of  those  concerned 
in  it.  This  you  will  sign.  I  shall  take  it  to  the  proper 
authorities,  and  obtain  a  promise  that  your  life  shall  be 
spared  on  condition  of  your  giving  evidence  against  these 
persons." 

"  I  would  never  sign  such  a  villainous  document,"  Charlie 
said. 

"You  will  sign  it,"  Ben  Soloman  said  calmly.  "When 
you  find  yourself  roasting  over  a  slow  charcoal  fire,  you  will 
be  ready  to  sign  anything  I  wish  you  to." 

So  saying,  he  turned  and  left  the  room.  He  talked  for 
some  time  to  the  men  outside,  then  Charlie  heard  him 
ride  off. 

"You  villain,"  he  said  to  himself,  "when  you  come  at 
the  end  of  a  week  you  will  not  find  me  here;  but  if  I  get  a 
chance  of  having  a  reckoning  with  you,  it  will  be  bad  for 
you." 

Charlie's  progress  was  apparently  slow;  the  next  day  he 
was  able  to  sit  up  and  feed  himself,  two  days  later  he  could 
totter  across  the  room  and  lie  down  before  the  fire.  The 
men  were  completely  deceived  by  his  acting,  and  consider- 
ing any  attempt  to  escape  in  his  present  weak  state  alto- 
gether impossible,  paid  but  little  heed  to  him,  the  peasant 
frequently  absenting  himself  for  hours  together.  Looking 
from  his  window,  Charlie  saw  that  the  hut  was  situated  in 
a  thick  wood,  and  from  the  blackened  appearance  of  the 
peasant's  face  and  garments  he  guessed  him  to  be  a  charcoal- 
burner,  and  therefore  judged  that  the  trees  he  saw  must 
form  part  of  a  forest  of  considerable  extent. 

The  weather  was  warm,  and  his  other  guard  often  sat  for 


190  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

a  while  outside  the  door.  During  his  absence  Charlie  lifted 
the  logs  of  wood  piled  beside  the  hearth,  and  was  able  to 
test  his  returning  strength,  assuring  himself  that,  although 
not  yet  fully  recovered,  he  was  gaining  ground  daily.  He 
resolved  not  to  wait  until  the  seventh  day;  for  Ben  Soloman 
might  change  his  mind  and  return  before  the  day  he  had 
nam.ed.  He  determined,  therefore,  that  on  the  sixth  day 
he  would  make  the  attempt.  He  had  no  fear  of  being 
unable  to  overcome  his  Jewish  guard,  as  he  would  have  the 
advantage  of  a  surprise.  He  only  delayed  as  long  as  possi- 
ble, because  he  doubted  his  powers  of  walking  any  great 
distance  and  of  evading  the  charcoal-burner,  who  would  on 
his  return  certainly  set  out  in  pursuit  of  him.  Moreover, 
he  wished  to  remain  in  the  hut  nearly  up  to  the  time  of  the 
Jew's  return,  as  he  was  determined  to  wait  in  the  forest 
and  revenge  himself  for  the  suffering  he  had  caused  him  and 
for  the  torture  to  which  he  intended  to  put  him. 

The  evening  before  the  day  on  which  he  decided  to 
make  the  attempt  the  charcoal-burner  and  the  Jew  were  in 
earnest  conversation.  The  word  signifying  brigand  was 
frequently  repeated,  and  although  he  could  not  understand 
much  more  than  this,  he  concluded  from  the  peasant's  talk 
and  gestures  that  he  had  either  come  across  some  of  these 
men  in  the  forest,  or  had  gathered  from  signs  he  had 
observed,  perhaps  from  their  fires,  that  they  were  there. 
The  Jew  shrugged  his  shoulders  when  the  narration  was 
finished.  The  presence  of  brigands  was  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference to  him.  The  next  day  the  charcoal-burner  went  off 
at  noon. 

"Where  does  he  go  to?"  Charlie  asked  his  guard. 

"  He  has  got  some  charcoal  fires  alight,  and  is  obliged  to 
go  and  see  to  them.  They  have  to  be  kept  covered  up 
with  wet  leaves  and  earth  so  that  the  wood  shall  only 
smoulder,"  the  man  said,  as  he  lounged  out  of  the. hut  to 
his  usual  seat. 


IN   EVIL  PLIGHT  191 

Charlie  waited  a  short  time,  then  went  to  the  pile  of  logs 
and  picked  out  a  straight  stick  about  a  yard  long  and  two 
inches  in  diameter.  With  one  of  the  heavier  ones  he 
could  have  killed  the  man,  but  the  fellow  was  only  acting 
under  the  orders  of  his  employer,  and  although  he  would 
doubtless,  at  Ben  Soloman's  commands,  have  roasted  him 
alive  without  compunction,  he  had  not  behaved  with  any 
unkindness,  and  had,  indeed,  seemed  to  do  his  best  for 
him.  Taking  the  stick,  he  went  to  the  door.  He  trod 
lightly,  but  in  the  stillness  of  the  forest  the  man  heard  him, 
and  glanced  round  as  he  came  out.  Seeing  the  stick  in 
his  hand  he  leaped  up,  exclaiming,  "You  young  fool !  "  and 
sprang  towards  him.  He  had  scarce  time  to  feel  surprise 
as  Charlie  quickly  raised  the  club.  It  described  a  swift 
sweep,  fell  full  on  his  head,  and  he  dropped  to  the  ground 
as  if  shot. 

Charlie  ran  in  again,  seized  a  coil  of  rope,  bound  his 
hands  and  feet  securely,  and  dragged  him  into  the  hut. 
Then  he  dashed  some  cold  water  on  his  face.  The  man 
opened  his  eyes  and  tried  to  move.  "  You  are  too  tightly 
bound  to  move,  Pauloff,"  he  said.  "I  could  have  killed 
you  if  I  had  chosen,  but  I  did  not  wish  to.  You  have  not 
been  unkind  to  me,  and  I  owe  you  no  grudge ;  but  tell  your 
rascally  employer  that  I  will  be  even  with  him  some  day 
for  the  evil  he  has  done  me." 

"You  might  as  well  have  killed  me,"  the  man  said,  "for 
he  will  do  so  when  he  finds  I  let  you  escape." 

"Then  my  advice  to  you  is,  be  beforehand  with  him. 
You  are  as  strong  a  man  as  he  is,  and  if  I  were  in  your 
place,  and  a  man  who  meant  to  kill  me  came  into  a  lonely 
hut  like  this,  I  would  take  precious  good  care  that  he  had 
no  chance  of  carrying  out  his  intentions." 

Charlie  then  took  two  loaves  of  black  bread  and  a  portion 
of  goat's  flesh  from  the  cupboard,  found  a  bottle  about  a 
quarter  full  of  coarse  spirits,  filled  it  up  with  water  and  put 


192  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

it  in  his  pocket,  and  then,  after  taking  possession  of  the 
long  knife  his  captive  wore  in  his  belt,  went  out  of  the  hut 
and  closed  the  door  behind  him.  He  had  purposely  moved 
slowly  about  the  hut  as  he  made  these  preparations,  in  order 
that  the  Jew  should  believe  that  he  was  still  weak;  but, 
indeed,  the  effort  of  dragging  the  man  into  the  hut  had 
severely  taxed  his  strength,  and  he  found  that  he  was  much 
weaker  than  he  had  supposed. 

The  hut  stood  in  a  very  small  clearing,  and  Charlie  had 
no  difficulty  in  seeing  the  track  by  which  the  cart  had 
come,  for  the  marks  of  the  wheels  were  still  visible  in  the 
soft  soil.  He  followed  this,  until  after  about  two  miles' 
walking  he  came  to  the  edge  of  the  wood.  Then  he 
retraced  his  steps  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  turned  off,  and 
with  some  difficulty  made  his  way  into  a  patch  of  thick 
undergrowth,  where,  after  first  cutting  a  formidable  cudgel, 
he  lay  down,  completely  exhausted.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
he  was  aroused  from  a  doze  by  the  sound  of  footsteps,  and 
looking  through  the  screen  of  leaves  he  saw  his  late  jailers 
hurrying  along  the  path.  The  charcoal-burner  carried  a 
heavy  axe,  while  the  Jew,  whose  head  was  bound  up  with  a 
cloth,  had  a  long  knife  in  his  girdle.  They  went  as  far  as 
the  end  of  the  forest,  and  then  retraced  their  steps  slowly. 
They  were  talking  loudly,  and  Charlie  could  gather  from 
the  few  words  he  understood,  and  by  their  gestures,  some- 
thing of  the  purport  of  their  conversation. 

"  I  told  you  it  was  of  no  use  your  coming  on  as  far  as 
this,"  the  Jew  said;  "why,  he  was  hardly  strong  enough  to 
walk." 

"  He  managed  to  knock  you  down,  and  afterwards  to  drag 
you  into  the  house,"  the  other  said. 

"  It  does  not  require  much  strength  to  knock  a  man  down 
with  a  heavy  club  when  he  is  not  expecting  it,  Conrad. 
He  certainly  did  drag  me  in,  but  he  was  obliged  to  sit  down 
afterwards,  and  I  watched  him  out  of  one  eye  as  he  was 


IN   EVIL   PLIGHT  193 

making  his  preparations,  and  he  could  only  just  totter  about. 
I  would  wager  you  anything  he  cannot  have  gone  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  house;  that  is  where  we  must  search 
for  him,  I  warrant  we  shall  find  him  hidden  in  a  thicket 
thereabouts." 

"We  shall  have  to  take  a  lantern  then,  for  it  will  be 
dark  before  we  get  back." 

"  Our  best  plan  will  be  to  leave  it  alone  till  morning. 
If  we  sit  outside  the  hut  and  take  it  in  turns  to  watch  we 
shall  hear  him  when  he  moves,  which  he  is  sure  to  do  when 
it  gets  dark.  It  will  be  a  still  night,  and  we  should  hear 
a  stick  break  half  a  mile  away.  We  shall  catch  him  safe 
enough  before  he  has  gone  far." 

"Well,  I  hope  we  shall  have  him  back  before  Ben  Solo- 
man  comes,"  the  charcoal-burner  said,  "or  it  will  be  worse 
for  both  of  us.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  he  has  got  my 
neck  in  a  noose,  and  he  has  got  his  thumb  on  you." 

"If  we  can't  find  this  Swede,  I  would  not  wait  here  for 
any  money.     I  would  fly  at  once." 

"You  would  need  to  fly,  in  truth,  to  get  beyond  Ben 
Soloman's  clutches,"  the  charcoal-burner  said  gruffly. 
"He  has  got  agents  all  over  the  country." 

"Then  what  would  you  do?  " 

"There  is  only  one  thing  to  do.  It  is  our  lives  or  his. 
When  he  rides  up  to-morrow  we  will  meet  him  at  the  door 
as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and,  with  my  axe,  I  will 
cleave  his  head  asunder  as  he  comes  in.  If  he  sees  me 
in  time  to  retreat  you  shall  stab  him  in  the  back.  Then 
we  will  dig  a  big  hole  in  the  wood  and  throw  him  in,  and 
we  will  kill  his  horse  and  bury  it  with  him.  Who  would 
ever  be  the  wiser?  I  was  going  to  propose  it  last  time, 
only  I  was  not  sure  of  you  then;  but  now  that  you  are  in  it 
as  deep  as  I  am — deeper  indeed,  for  he  put  you  here 
specially  to  look  after  this  youngster — your  interest  in  the 
matter  is  as  great  as  mine." 


194  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

The  Jew  was  silent  for  some  time,  then  he  said :  "  He 
has  got  papers  at  home  which  would  bring  me  to  the 
gallows." 

"Pooh!"  the  other  said.  "You  do  not  suppose  that 
when  it  is  found  that  he  does  not  return,  and  his  heirs 
open  his  coffers,  they  will  take  any  trouble  about  what 
there  may  be  in  the  papers  there  except  such  as  relate  to 
his  money.  I  will  warrant  there  are  papers  there  which 
concern  scores  of  men  besides  you,  for  I  know  that  Ben 
Soloman  likes  to  work  with  agents  he  has  got  under  his 
thumb.  But  even  if  all  the  papers  should  be  put  into  the 
hands  of  the  authorities,  what  would  come  of  it?  They 
have  got  their  hands  full  of  other  matters  for  the  present, 
and  with  the  Swedes  on  their  frontier  and  the  whole  coun- 
try divided  into  factions,  who  do  you  think  is  going  to 
trouble  to  hunt  up  men  for  affairs  that  occurred  years  ago? 
Even  if  they  did,  they  would  not  catch  you.  They  have 
not  got  the  means  of  running  you  down  that  Ben  Soloman 
has.  I  tell  you,  man,  it  must  be  done.  There  is  no  other 
way  out  of  it." 

"  Well,  Conrad,  if  we  cannot  find  this  fellow  before  Ben 
Soloman  comes  I  am  with  you  in  the  business.  I  have 
been  working  for  him  on  starvation  pay  for  the  last  three 
years,  and  hate  him  as  much  as  you  can." 

When  they  reached  the  hut  they  cooked  a  meal,  and 
then  prepared  to  keep  alternate  watch. 

Charlie  slept  quietly  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  re- 
mained in  his  hiding-place  until  he  heard  in  the  distance 
the  sound  of  a  horse's  iread.  Then  he  went  out  and  sat 
down,  leaning  against  a  tree  by  the  side  of  the  path,  in  an 
attitude  of  exhaustion.  Presently  he  saw  Ben  Soloman 
approaching.  He  got  up  feebly  and  staggered  a  few  paces 
to  another  tree  farther  from  the  path.  He  heard  an  angry 
shout,  and  then  Ben  Soloman  rode  up,  and  with  a  torrent 
of  execrations  at  the  carelessness  of  the  watchers  leapt 


CHARLIE    ENCOUNTERS    BEN    SOLOMAN    IN    THE    WOOD. 


IN  EVIL  PLIGHT  195 

from  his  horse  and  sprang  to  seize  the  fugitive,  whom  he 
regarded  as  incapable  of  offering  the  slightest  resistance. 

Charlie  straightened  himself  up  as  if  with  an  effort, 
and  raised  his  cudgel.  "I  will  not  be  taken  alive,"  he 
said. 

Ben  Soloman  drew  his  long  knife  from  his  girdle.  "  Drop 
that  stick,"  he  said,  "or  it  will  be  worse  for  you." 

"It  cannot  be  worse  than  being  tortured  to  death,  as 
you  said." 

The  Jew,  with  an  angry  snarl,  sprang  forward  so  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly  that  he  was  within  the  swing  of 
Charlie's  cudgel  before  the  latter  could  strike.  He 
dropped  the  weapon  at  once  and  caught  the  wrist  of  the 
uplifted  hand  that  held  the  knife.  The  Jew  gave  a  cry  of 
astonishment  and  rage  as  they  clasped  each  other,  and  he 
found  that  instead  of  an  unresisting  victim  he  was  in  a 
powerful  grasp.  For  a  moment  there  was  a  desperate 
struggle. 

The  Jew  would,  at  ordinary  times,  have  been  no  match 
for  Charlie,  but  the  latter  was  far  from  having  regained 
his  normal  strength.  His  fury  at  the  treatment  he  had 
received  at  the  man's  hands,  however,  enabled  him  for 
the  moment  to  exert  himself  to  the  utmost,  and  after  sway- 
ing backwards  and  fonvards  in  desperate  strife  for  a 
minute  they  went  to  the  ground  with  a  crash,  Ben  Soloman 
being  undermost. 

The  Jew's  grasp  instantly  relaxed,  and  Charlie,  springing 
to  his  feet  and  seizing  his  cudgel,  stood  over  his  fallen 
antagonist.  The  latter,  however,  did  not  move.  His 
eyes  were  open  in  a  fixed  stare.  Charlie  looked  at  him  in 
surprise  for  a  moment,  thinking  he  was  stunned,  then  he 
saw  that  his  right  arm  was  twisted  under  him  in  the  fall, 
and  at  once  understanding  what  had  happened,  turned  him 
half  over.  He  had  fallen  on  the  knife,  which  had  pene- 
trated to  the  haft,  killing  him  instantly. 


196  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"I  didn't  mean  to  kill  you,"  Charlie  said  aloud,  "much 
as  you  deserve  it,  and  surely  as  you  would  have  killed  me 
if  I  had  refused  to  act  as  a  traitor :  I  would  have  broken 
your  head  for  you,  but  that  was  all.  However,  it  is  as  well 
as  it  is.  It  adds  to  my  chance  of  getting  away,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  there  will  be  many  who  will  rejoice  when  you  are 
found  to  be  missing.  Now,"  he  went  on,  "as  your  agents 
emptied  my  pockets,  it  is  no  robbery  to  empty  yours. 
Money  will  be  useful,  and  so  will  your  horse." 

He  stooped  over  the  dead  man  and  took  the  purse  from 
his  girdle,  when  suddenly  there  was  a  rush  of  feet,  and  in 
a  moment  he  was  seized.  The  thought  flashed  through 
his  mind  that  he  had  fallen  into  the  power  of  his  late 
guardians,  but  a  glance  showed  that  the  men  standing 
round  were  strangers. 

"Well,  comrade,  and  who  are  you?"  the  man  who  was 
evidently  the  leader  asked.  "You  have  saved  us  some 
trouble.  We  were  sleeping  a  hundred  yards  or  two  away 
when  we  heard  the  horseman,  and  saw  as  he  passed  he 
was  the  Jew  of  Warsaw,  to  whom  two  or  three  of  us  owe 
our  ruin,  and  it  did  not  need  more  than  a  word  for  us  to 
agree  to  wait  for  him  till  he  came  back.  We  were  sur- 
prised when  we  saw  you,  still  more  so  when  the  Jew 
jumped  from  his  horse  and  attacked  you.  We  did  not 
interfere,  because  if  he  had  got  the  best  of  you  he  might 
have  jumped  on  his  horse  and  ridden  off,  but  directly  he 
fell  we  ran  out,  but  you  were  so  busy  in  taking  the  spoil 
that  you  did  not  hear  us. 

"I  see  the  Jew  is  dead;  fell  on  his  own  knife.  It  is 
just  as  well  for  him,  for  we  should  have  tied  him  to  a  tree 
and  made  a  bonfire  of  him  if  we  had  caught  him." 

Charlie  understood  but  little  of  this,  but  said  when  the 
other  finished  :  "I  understand  but  little  Polish." 

"What  are  you  then — a  Russian?  You  do  not  look  like 
one." 


IN   EVIL   PLIGHT  197 

"I  am  an  Englishman,  and  am  working  in  the  house  of 
Allan  Ramsay,  a  Scotch  trader  in  Warsaw." 

"Well,  you  are  a  bold  fellow  anyhow,  and  after  the  smart 
way  in  which  you  disposed  of  this  Jew  and  possessed  your- 
self of  his  purse,  you  will  do  honour  to  our  trade." 

"  I  hope  you  will  let  me  go, "  Charlie  said.  "  My  friends 
in  Warsaw  will  pay  a  ransom  for  me  if  you  will  let  me  return 
there." 

"  No,  no,  young  fellow.  You  would  of  course  put  down 
this  Jew's  death  to  our  doing,  and  we  have  weight  enough 
on  our  backs  already.  He  is  a  man  of  great  influence,  and 
all  his  tribe  would  be  pressing  on  the  government  to  hunt 
us  down.  You  shall  go  with  us,  and  the  purse  you  took 
from  Ben  Soloman  will  pay  your  footing." 

Charlie  saw  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  and  alter  the 
man's  decision,  especially  as  he  knew  so  little  of  the  lan- 
guage. He  therefore  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said  that 
he  was  ready  to  go  with  them  if  it  must  be  so.  The  Jew's 
body  was  now  thoroughly  searched.  Various  papers  were 
found  upon  him,  but  as  these  proved  useless  to  the  brigands 
they  were  torn  up. 

"Shall  we  take  the  horse  with  us?  "  one  of  the  men  asked 
the  leader. 

"  No,  it  would  be  worse  than  useless  in  the  forest.  Leave 
it  standing  here,  it  will  find  its  way  back  in  time.  Then 
there  will  be  a  search,  and  there  will  be  rejoicing  in  many 
a  mansion  throughout  the  country  when  it  is  known  that  Ben 
Soloman  is  dead.  They  say  he  has  mortgages  on  a  score  of 
estates,  and  though  I  suppose  these  will  pass  to  others  of 
his  tribe,  they  can  hardly  be  as  hard  and  mercenary  as  this 
man  was.  I  wonder  what  he  was  doing  in  this  forest  alone  ? 
Let  us  follow  the  path  and  see  where  he  is  going.  Honred, 
you  have  a  smattering  of  several  languages,  try  then  if  you 
can  make  our  new  comrade  understand."  The  man  tried 
in  Russian  without  success,  then  he  spoke  in  Swedish,  in 
which  language  Charlie  at  once  replied. 


198  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Where  does  this  pathway  lead  to?" 

"  To  a  hut  where  a  charcoal-burner  lives.  I  have  been 
imprisoned  there  for  the  last  fortnight.  It  was  all  the  Jew's 
doing.  It  was  through  him  that  I  got  this  knock  here:" 
and  he  pointed  to  the  unhealed  wound  at  the  back  of  his 
head. 

"Well,  we  may  as  well  pay  them  a  visit,"  the  chief  said, 
when  this  was  translated  to  him.  "  We  are  short  of  flour, 
and  they  may  have  some  there,  and  maybe  something  elss^ 
that  will  be  useful."    • 


CHAPTER  XI 


WITH    BRIGANDS 


THE  man  who  had  spoken  to  Charlie  drew  the  long  knife 
from  the  back  of  the  Jew,  wiped  it  on  the  grass,  and 
handed  it  to  him. 

"That  ought  to  be  your  property,"  he  said.  "It  has 
done  you  good  service." 

Not  sorry  to  have  a  weapon  in  addition  to  his  cudgel, 
Charlie  placed  it  in  his  belt  and  then  started  with  the 
bandits.  He  would  not  have  cared  to  face  the  charcoal- 
burner  alone;  but  now  that  the  band  regarded  him  as 
enrolled  among  their  number,  he  felt  no  uneasiness  respect- 
ing him.  When  they  issued  from  the  trees  the  Jew  was 
seen  standing  at  the  door  of  the  hut.  He  at  once  ran  in 
on  seeing  them,  and  came  out  again  accompanied  by  the 
charcoal-burner,  who  carried  his  axe  on  his  shoulder.  The 
Jew  started  on  catching  sight  of  Charlie  among  the  ranks  of 
the  brigands,  and  said  a  word  or  t\vo  to  his  companion. 

"Well,  Master  Charcoal-burner,"  the  leader  of  the  party 
said,  "how  is  it  that  honest  woodmen  consort  with  rogues 
of  the  town?" 

"I  don't  know  that  they  do  so  willingly,"  the  man  said 
gruffly.  "  But  some  of  us  to  our  cost  have  put  our  heads 
into  nooses,  and  the  rogues  of  the  town  have  got  hold  of 
the  other  end  of  the  ropes,  and  we  must  just  walk  as  we  are 

told  to." 

199 


200  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Well,  that  is  true  enough,"  the  brigand  said.  "And 
you,  Jew,  what  are  you  doing  here?  " 

"I  am  like  Conrad,"  he  replied  sulkily.  "It  is  not  only 
countrymen  who  have  their  necks  in  a  noose,  and  I  have  to 
do  what  I  am  ordered." 

"By  a  bigger  rogue  than  yourself?  " 

"That  is  so;  bigger  and  cleverer." 

"  You  are  expecting  him  here  now,  our  new  comrade  tells 
us.  Well,  you  need  expect  him  no  longer;  he  will  not 
come.  If  you  will  go  along  the  path  you  will  come  upon 
his  body,  and  may  bury  him  if  you  like  to  take  the  trouble." 

An  exclamation  of  satisfaction  broke  from  the  two  men. 

"You  have  done  us  a  service  indeed,"  the  charcoal- 
burner  said.  "We  had  thought  to  do  it  for  ourselves  this 
morning,  for  after  the  escape  of  him  you  call  your  new 
comrade  he  would  have  shown  us  no  mercy." 

"You  may  thank  our  new  comrade  and  not  us,"  the 
brigand  said.  "  We  only  arrived  on  the  spot  when  it  was 
all  over." 

The  Jew  looked  at  Charlie  in  astonishment. 

"What!  did  he  kill  Ben  Soloman?" 

"That  did  he;  or  rather  the  Jew  killed  himself.  There 
was  a  grapple  hand  to  hand  and  a  wrestle,  the  Jew  fell 
undermost,  and  was  pierced  with  his  own  knife." 

"But  the  lad  is  but  just  out  of  a  sick-bed  and  has  no 
strength  for  a  struggle,  and  Ben  Soloman,  though  past 
middle  life,  was  strong  and  active." 

"Neither  strong  enough  nor  active  enough,"  the  man 
laughed.  "You  have  been  nicely  taken  in;  who  would 
have  thought  that  two  Jews  and  a  Pole  would  have  been 
cheated  by  an  English  lad?  His  face  shows  that  he  has 
been  ill,  and  doubtless  he  has  not  yet  recovered  his  full 
strength,  but  he  was  strong  enough  anyhow  to  overthrow 
Ben  Soloman.  Now,  what  have  you  in  the  hut?  we  are  in 
need  of  provisions." 


WITH   BRIGANDS  201 

The  hut  was  ransacked ;  the  flour,  two  bottles  of  spirits, 
and  a  skin  of  wine  seized,  and  the  meat  cut  up  and  roasted 
over  the  fire.  After  the  meal  was  eaten  the  captain  called 
upon  Charlie  to  tell  his  story  more  fully,  and  this  he  did 
with  the  aid  of  the  man  who  spoke  Swedish;  starting,  how- 
ever, only  at  the  point  when  he  was  attacked  in  the  street, 
as  he  felt  it  better  to  remain  silent  as  to  his  connection 
with  the  Swedish  army. 

"But  what  was  the  cause  of  Ben  Soloman's  hostility  to 
you?" 

"There  are  some  in  Warsaw  who  are  of  opinion  that 
Augustus  of  Saxony  has  done  much  harm  to  Poland  in 
engaging  without  cause  in  the  war  against  Charles  of 
Sweden,  and  who  think  that  it  would  be  well  that  he 
should  be  dethroned,  and  some  other  prince  made  king  in 
his  place.  To  this  party  many  of  the  traders  belong,  and 
the  Jew  had  reason  to  think  that  I  was  acquainted  with 
the  design,  and  could  give  the  names  of  those  concerned 
in  it.  There  was  really  no  plot  against  Augustus,  but  it 
was  only  intended  that  a  popular  demonstration  against 
his  rule  should  be  made.  But  Soloman  wanted  me  to  give 
evidence  that  there  was  a  conspiracy  against  the  king's 
life,  so  that  he  might  gain  great  credit  by  exposing  it, 
and  might  at  the  same  time  rid  himself  of  many  of  his 
rivals  in  the  trade." 

"He  was  an  artful  fox,"  the  leader  of  the  brigands  said 
when  this  had  been  translated  to  him.  "  But  where  is  the 
Jew  he  put  over  you?  " 

Three  or  four  of  the  men  sprang  to  their  feet  and  ran 
out,  but  the  Jew  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  The  captain 
was  furious,  and  abused  his  men  right  and  left,  while  his 
anger  was  in  no  way  mitigated  when  one  of  them  told 
him  that  if  he  had  wanted  the  Jew  kept,  he  should  have 
given  one  of  them  orders  to  look  after  him.  This  was  so 
evident  that  the  chief  was  silenced  for  a  moment. 


202  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"How  long  is  it  since  any  of  you  saw  him  last?  " 

"  He  went  round  with  the  wine-skin,  and  filled  our  cups 
just  as  we  sat  down  to  breakfast,"  one  of  the  men  said. 
"I  have  not  noticed  him  since."  Nor  had  any  of  the 
others. 

"Then  it  will  be  no  use  to  pursue;  he  has  had  more 
than  half  an  hour's  start,  and  long  before  this  he  will  have 
mounted  Ben  Soloman's  horse  and  have  ridden  off. 

"Well,  comrade,"  he  said,  turning  to  Charlie,  "this  set- 
tles your  movements.  I  was  but  half  in  earnest  before  as 
to  your  joining  us;  but  it  is  clear  now  that  there's  nothing 
else  for  you  to  do  for  the  present.  This  fellow  will, 
directly  he  gets  to  Warsaw,  denounce  you  as  the  murderer 
of  his  master.  That  he  is  sure  to  do  to  avert  suspicion 
from  himself,  and  if  you  were  to  return  there  it  would  go 
hard  with  you.  So  for  a  time  you  must  throw  in  your  lot 
with  us." 

When  this  was  translated  to  Charlie,  he  saw  at  once  the 
force  of  the  argument.  He  could  not  have  denied  that 
the  Jew  had  fallen  in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle  with  himself, 
and  were  he  to  appear  in  Warsaw  he  might  be  killed  by  the 
co-religionists  of  Ben  Soloman;  or  if  he  escaped  this, 
might  lie  in  a  dungeon  for  months  awaiting  his  trial,  and 
perhaps  be  finally  executed.  There  was  nothing  for  him 
now  but  to  rejoin  the  Swedes,  and  it  would  be  some  time 
yet  before  he  would  be  sufficiently  recovered  to  undertake 
such  a  journey. 

"  I  should  not  mind  if  I  could  send  a  letter  to  Allan 
Ramsay,  to  tell  him  what  has  befallen  me;  he  will  be 
thinking  I  am  dead,  and  will  at  any  rate  be  in  great  anxiety 
about  me." 

"I  have  taken  a  liking  to  you,  young  fellow,"  the  leader 
said,  "  and  will  send  in  one  of  my  men  to  Warsaw  with  a 
letter;  that  is,  if  you  can  write  one." 

"Yes,  I  can  write.     Fortunately  there  are  paper,  pen. 


WITH   BRIGANDS  203 

and  an  ink-horn  on  that  shelf.  Ben  Soloman  brought 
them  the  last  time  he  came  to  write  down  the  lies  he 
wanted  me  to  testify  to.  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you,  and 
will  do  it  at  once." 

As  he  had,  only  the  day  before  he  was  attacked,  sent  off 
a  messenger  to  Count  Piper  telling  him  all  he  had  done 
the  previous  week,  there  was  no  occasion  to  repeat  this, 
and  he  had  only  to  give  an  account  of  his  capture  and  the 
events  that  had  since  occurred. 

"You  see,"  he  said,  "I  cannot  return  to  Warsaw;  the 
Jew  who  was  here  unfortunately  heard  that  it  was  in  a 
struggle  with  me  Ben  Soloman  was  killed,  and  he  will  of 
course  denounce  me  as  his  murderer,  though  the  deed  was 
done  in  fair  fight.  I  should  have  all  his  tribe  against  me, 
and  might  be  imprisoned  for  months  awaiting  trial.  I  am 
still  very  weak,  and  could  not  attempt  the  journey  to  the 
frontier.  I  am,  however,  gaining  strength,  and  as  soon  as 
I  am  quite  recovered  I  shall  take  the  first  opportunity  of 
leaving  the  men  I  am  with,  and  making  for  the  Swedish 
camp.  Please  forward  this  news  by  a  sure  hand  to  Count 
Piper,  and  express  my  sorrow  that  my  mission  has  not 
been  completed,  although  indeed  I  do  not  think  that  my 
further  stay  at  Warsaw  would  have  been  any  great  service, 
for  it  is  clear  that  the  great  majority  of  the  traders  will 
not  move  in  the  matter  until  the  Swedes  advance,  and, 
from  their  point  of  view,  it  is  not  to  their  interest  to  do 
so.  I  know  but  little  of  the  men  I  am  with  at  present, 
beyond  the  fact  that  they  are  bandits,  nor  can  I  say  whether 
they  are  disbanded  soldiers  or  criminals  who  have  escaped 
from  justice;  but  at  any  rate  they  show  me  no  ill-will.  I 
have  no  doubt  I  shall  be  able  to  get  on  fairly  with  them 
until  I  am  able  to  make  my  escape.  I  wish  I  had  poor 
Stanislas  with  me;  only  one  of  the  men  here  speaks  Swed- 
ish, and  he  does  not  know  very  much  of  the  language.  I 
cannot  say  at  present  whether  the  twenty  men  here  are  the 


204  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

whole  of  the  band,  or  whether  they  are  only  a  portion  of 
it;  nor  do  I  know  whether  the  men  subsist  by  plundering 
the  peasants  or  venture  on  more  serious  crimes.  Thank- 
ing you  for  your  great  kindness  during  my  stay  at  Warsaw, 
I  remain,  yours  gratefully, — Charlie  Carstairs." 

While  he  was  occupied  in  writing  this  letter  an  animated 
conversation  was  going  on  between  the  bandits.  Charlie 
gathered  that  this  related  to  their  future  operations,  but 
more  than  this  he  could  not  learn.  In  a  postscript  to  the 
letter  he  requested  Allan  Ramsay  to  hand  over  to  the 
bearer  some  of  the  clothes  left  in  his  lodgings,  and  to  pay 
him  for  his  trouble. 

"As  to  the  money  I  left  in  your  hands,  I  do  not  think 
it  worth  while  for  you  to  send  it.  However  much  these 
men  may  consider  me  a  comrade,  I  have  not  sufficient 
faith  in  their  honesty  to  believe  that  money  would  reach 
me  safely;  but  if  you  send  me  a  suit  of  clothes,  two  or 
three  gold  pieces  might  be  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  cloth 
and  shoved  into  the  toe  of  a  shoe.  The  parcel  must  be  a 
small  one,  or  there  would  be  little  chance  of  the  man 
carrying  it  far.  I  will  ask  him,  however,  to  bring  me  a 
sword  if  you  will  buy  one  for  me,  and  my  pistols." 

He  folded  up  the  letter  and  gave  it  to  the  captain. 
There  was  no  means  of  fastening  it,  but  this  mattered  little, 
because,  being  written  in  English,  there  was  no  chance  of 
its  being  read.  The  captain  handed  it  to  one  of  the  men 
with  instructions  for  its  delivery.  The  messenger  started 
at  once;  the  others,  after  remaining  a  short  time  in  the 
hut,  set  out  through  the  forest.  After  an  hour's  walking 
Charlie  was  unable  to  go  further.  The  captain  seeing 
this  ordered  four  of  the  men  to  stop  with  him  and  to  follow 
the  next  morning.  As  soon  as  he  had  gone  on  with  the 
rest  of  the  band,  the  men  set  about  collecting  sticks  and 
making  a  fire.  Charlie,  who  was  utterly  exhausted,  threw 
himself  on   the  ground,  and  was  not  long  before  he  fell 


WITH    BRIGANDS  205 

sound  asleep.  When  he  awoke  the  shades  of  evening  were 
already  falling,  and  the  men  were  sitting  over  th'e  fire 
roasting  a  portion  of  a  goat,  one  of  a  flock  they  had  fallen 
in  with  in  the  wood,  where  large  numbers  roamed  about  in 
a  semi-wild  state. 

The  man  who  could  speak  Swedish  was  one  of  those  who 
had  remained  with  him,  and  from  him  he  learnt  that  the 
present  head-quarters   of    the  band  were   some   six  miles 
farther  away.     This  distance  was  performed  next  morning, 
frequent  halts  being  made  to  enable  him  to  sit  down  and 
rest;  and  it  was  not  till  five  hours  after  the  start  that  they 
arrived.     Overgrown  as  it  now  was  with  trees  and  under- 
growth, he  could  see  that  a  village  once  stood  there.     It 
must,  however,  have  been  abandoned  a  very  long  time,  as 
trees  of  considerable  size  grew  among  the  low  walls  and 
piles  of  stones  that  marked  where  cottages  had  stood.     The 
place  occupied  by  the  brigands  had  in  former  times  been  a 
castellated  building  of  some  strength,  standing  on  a  knoll 
in  the  middle  of  the  village,  which  had  probably  been 
inhabited  by  the  retainers  of  its  owner.     Part  of  the  wall 
had  fallen,  but  a  large  arched  room,  that  had  doubtless  been 
the  banqueting  hall  of  the  castle,  remained  almost  intact, 
and  here  the  brigands  had  established  themselves.     Several 
fires  burned  on  the  flagged  floors,  the  smoke  finding  its  way 
out  through  holes  and  crevices  in  the  roof.     Some  fifty  men 
were  gathered  round  these,  and  were  occupied  in  cooking 
their  mid-day  meal.  * 

"I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  have  arrived,"  the  captain 
said,  coming  across  to  Charlie.  "  I  expected  you  two  hours 
ago,  and  intended  as  soon  as  we  had  finished  our  meal  to 
send  out  another  four  men  to  meet  you  and  help  to  carry 
you  in." 

"Thank  you,"  Charlie  said.  "It  is  not  the  men's  fault 
we  are  late,  but  the  last  part  of  the  way  we  came  on  very 
slowly.  I  was  getting  so  exhausted  that  I  had  to  stop  every 
few  hundred  yards. " 


206  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Well,  you  had  better  eat  something,  and  then  lie  down 
for  a  sleep.  Meat  is  plentiful  with  us,  for  there  are  thou- 
sands of  goats  in  the  forest,  and  occasionally  we  get  a  deer 
or  wild  boar.  If  we  had  but  bread  and  wine  we  should  live 
like  nobles.  Our  supplies,  however,  are  low  at  present, 
and  we  shall  have  to  make  an  expedition  to-morrow  or  next 
day  to  replenish  them." 

Charlie  ate  a  few  mouthfuls  of  meat,  and  then  lay  down 
and  slept  for  some  hours  on  a  bed  of  leaves.  He  was  awoke 
by  loud  and  excited  talking  among  the  men,  and  learnt  from 
Honred  that  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  left  on  watch  at 
the  mouth  of  the  path  by  which  he  had  entered  the  forest, 
had  just  brought  in  the  news  that  a  party  of  a  hundred 
infantry  led  by  the  Jew  had  arrived  with  a  cart.  In  this 
the  body  of  Ben  Soloman  had  been  sent  off,  while  the  troops 
had  established  themselves  in  the  little  clearing  round  the 
hut. 

"This  comes  of  letting  that  Jew  escape,"  the  captain 
said.  "  No  doubt  he  told  the  story  his  own  way,  and  the 
Jewish  traders  went  to  the  governor  and  asked  that  troops 
should  be  sent  to  root  us  out.  Well,  they  are  far  enough 
away  at  present,  and  I  have  sent  off  to  have  their  move- 
ments watched.  It  is  a  good  nine  miles  from  here  to  the 
hut,  and  they  may  look  for  a  week  before  they  find  this 
place,  unless  that  rascally  Jew  has  heard  of  it  from  the 
woodman,  or  they  get  hold  of  the  fellow  himself,  though  I 
should  think  they  will  hardly  do  that.  I  fancy  he  has  some 
cause  of  quarrel  with  the  authorities,  and  will  not  put  him- 
self in  the  way  of  being  questioned  closely  if  he  can 
help  it." 

The  next  morning  when  Charlie  awoke,  two  men  were 
standing  beside  him.  His  eyes  first  fell  on  the  one  who 
had  been  to  the  town,  and  who  held  a  large  bundle  in 
his  hand.  Then  he  turned  his  eyes  to  the  other,  and  gave 
an  exclamation  of  pleasure  as  he  saw  that  it  was  Stanislas. 


WITH   BRIGANDS  207 

He  looked  pale  and  weak,  and  was  evidently  just  recovering 
from  a  severe  illness. 

"Why,  Stanislas!"  he  exclaimed,  "this  is  a  pleasure 
indeed.  I  never  for  a  moment  dreamt  of  seeing  you.  I 
heard  from  the  Jew  who  guarded  me  that  you  got  away,  but 
I  was  afraid  that  you  had  been  badly  wounded.  Why,  my 
brave  fellow,  what  brings  you  here?  " 

"I  have  come  to  be  with  your  honour,"  the  man  said. 
"It  was,  of  course,  my  duty  to  be  by  your  side.  I  was 
very  ill  for  a  week,  for  I  had  half  a  dozen  wounds,  but  I 
managed  after  the  assailants  left  me  to  crawl  back  to  Mr. 
Ramsay's  to  tell  him  what  had  happened.  I  don't  remem- 
ber much  about  the  next  few  days.  Since  then  I  have  been 
mending  rapidly;  none  of  the  wounds  were  very  serious, 
and  it  was  more  loss  of  blood  than  anything  else  that  ailed 
me.  :Mr.  Ramsay  searched  high  and  low  for  you,  and  we 
had  all  given  you  up  for  dead  till  a  few  hours  before  this 
man  arrived  with  your  letter.  We  heard  you  had  killed 
Ben  Soloman.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  your  messenger,  who 
received  a  handsome  present  from  IMr.  Ramsay,  and  he 
agreed  to  conduct  me  here  upon  my  solemn  promise  that  if 
the  captain  would  not  receive  me  I  would  not  give  any 
information  on  my  return  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the 
band.  Mr.  Ramsay  hired  a  light  cart,  and  that  brought  us 
yesterday  far  into  the  forest.  We  camped  there,  and  I  had 
not  more  than  a  couple  of  miles  to  walk  to  get  here  this 
morning." 

"Have  you  seen  the  captain?"  Charlie  asked  eagerly. 

"Yes;  I  was  stopped  by  some  sentries  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away,  and  was  kept  there  while  my  guide  came  on  and  got 
permission  of  the  captain  for  me  to  be  brought  in.  When 
I  met  him  I  had  no  great  difficulty  in  persuading  him  to 
let  me  stop,  for  Mr.  Ramsay  had  given  me  fifty  rix-dollars 
to  give  him;  and  so,  your  honour,  here  I  am,  and  here  is  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Ramsay  himself." 


208 


A  JACOBITE   EXILE 


"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  glad  I  am  to  have  you,  Stanislas. 
I  am  getting  better,  but  I  am  so  weak,  that  I  took  five  hours 
yesterday  to  get  six  miles.  Now  I  have  got  you  to  talk  to 
I  shall  pick  up  strength  faster  than  I  have  been  doing,  for 
it  has  been  very  dull  work  having  no  one  who  could  under- 
stand me.  There  is  only  one  man  here  who  understands  a 
word  of  Swedish." 

''We  will  soon  get  you  round,  sir,  never  fear.  I  have 
brought  with  me  four  casks  of  wine.  They  were  left  at  the 
place  where  the  cart  stopped  last  night,  but  the  captain  has 
sent  off  men  already  to  bring  them  in.  You  will  be  all  the 
better  for  a  suit  of  clean  clothes." 

"That  I  shall;  it  is  a  month  now  since  I  had  a  change, 
and  my  jerkin  is  all  stained  with  blood.  I  want  a  wash 
more  than  anything;  for  there  was  no  water  near  the  hut, 
and  the  charcoal-burner  used  to  bring  in  a  small  keg  from 
a  spring  he  passed  on  his  way  to  his  work.  That  was 
enough  for  drinking,  but  not  enough  for  washing — a  matter 
which  never  seemed  to  have  entered  into  his  head  or  that 
of  the  Jew  as  being  in  the  slightest  degree  necessary." 

"There  is  a  well  just  outside,"  Stanislas  said.  "I  saw 
them  drawing  water  in  buckets  as  we  came  in.  I  suppose 
it  was  the  well  of  this  castle  in  the  old  time." 

"I  will  go  and  have  a  wash,  and  change  my  clothes  the 
first  thing,"  Charlie  said.  "Mr.  Ramsay's  letter  will  keep 
till  after  that." 

They  went  out  to  the  well  together. 

"  So  you  heard  the  story  that  I  had  killed  Ben  Soloman 
before  you  left?" 

"Yes;  before  your  letter  arrived  Mr.  Ramsay  sent  for 
me,  and  told  me  a  Jewish  trader  had  just  informed  him  that 
news  had  come  that  Ben  Soloman  had  been  murdered,  and 
the  deed  had  been  done  by  the  young  Scotchman  who  had 
been  with  him.  Mr.  Ramsay  did  not  believe  the  story  in 
the  slightest.     He  admitted  that  Ben  Soloman  might  have 


WITH   BRIGANDS  209 

been  murdered,  and  even  said  frankly  that,  hated  as  he  was, 
it  was  the  most  natural  end  for  him  to  come  to;  but  that 
you  should  have  done  so  was,  he  said,  absurd.  In  the  first 
place,  he  did  not  think  that  you  were  alive;  and  in  the 
second,  it  was  far  more  probable  that  you  had  been  mur- 
dered by  Ben  Soloman  than  that  he  should  have  been 
murdered  by  you. 

"  However,  even  before  your  letter  came  three  or  four 
hours  later,  there  seemed  no  longer  any  doubt  that  you  had 
killed  the  Jew.  By  that  time  there  was  quite  an  uproar 
among  his  people.  He  was  the  leader  of  their  commu- 
nity, and  had  dealings  with  so  many  nobles  that  his  influ- 
ence was  great;  and  although  he  was  little  liked,  he  was 
regarded  as  an  important  person,  and  his  loss  was  a  very 
heavy  one  to  the  Jewish  community.  A  deputation  went 
to  the  governor,  and  we  heard  that  troops  would  be  at  once 
sent  out  to  capture  you  and  the  band  of  brigands  you  had 
joined.  Mr.  Ramsay  told  me  that  it  was  fortunate  indeed 
that  you  had  not  returned  to  the  city.  But  no  doubt  he 
has  told  you  all  that  in  the  letter." 

"I  feel  quite  another  man,  Stanislas,"  Charlie  said  when 
he  had  changed  his  garments.  "Now  I  can  read  the 
letter  you  brought  me." 

After  expressing  the  great  satisfaction  he  felt  at  the  news 
that  Charlie  was  alive,  Mr.  Ramsay  went  on  to  say  that 
even  were  he  well  he  could  not  return  to  Warsaw  in  the 
present  state  of  public  feeling. 

"Your  story  that  you  were  attacked,  grievously  wounded, 
and  after  being  confined  here  for  some  days,  carried  away 
and  confined  in  the  wood  by  order  of  Ben  Soloman,  and 
that  he  visited  you  there,  would  be  treated  with  derision. 
The  version  given  by  the  man  who  brought  in  the  story  of 
the  Jew's  death  was  that  he  himself  was  staying  in  the 
cottage  of  a  charcoal-burner,  an  acquaintance  of  his,  and 
that  a  party  of  brigands,  of  whom  you  were  one,  arrived 


210  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

there,  and  that  they  were  boasting  of  having  caused  the 
death  of  Ben  Soloman,  who  had  fallen  by  your  hand.  He 
managed  to  escape  from  the  brigands,  and  on  the  road 
found  the  dead  body  of  his  employer,  who  was,  he  knew, 
that  morning  coming  out  to  give  him  some  instructions. 
My  opinion,  and  that  of  my  friends  who  knew  you,  was 
that  the  fellow  had  himself  killed  and  robbed  his  master; 
but  your  letter,  of  course,  showed  that  his  account  was 
true  to  some  extent — that  Ben  Soloman  had  fallen  in  a 
struggle  with  you,  and  that  you  yourself  were  a  prisoner 
in  the  hands  of  these  bandits.  Still,  as  it  would  be  next 
to  impossible  for  you  to  prove  the  truth  of  your  story,  and 
as  the  Jews  of  the  place,  who  are  numerous  and  influential, 
are  dead  against  you,  your  life  would  certainly  be  forfeited 
were  you  to  be  captured. 

"  I  know  your  story  to  be  true,  but  it  would  appear  wildly 
improbable  to  others  that  this  wealthy  Jew  should  have 
conspired  in  the  first  place  to  cause  an  attack  to  be  made 
upon  an  unknown  young  stranger,  still  less  that  he  should 
have  had  him  carried  off  to  the  forest,  and  should  have 
gone  to  visit  him  there.  The  explanation  that  you  were  a 
Swedish  officer  in  disguise  would  not  benefit  you  in  any 
way,  while  it  would  involve  us  who  knew  you,  in  your 
danger,  and  would  cause  the  Jew  to  be  regarded  as  a  man 
who  had  lost  his  life  in  endeavouring  to  unmask  a  plot 
against  Poland.  Therefore,  I  think  it  is  extremely  fortu- 
nate that  you  are  for  the  present  safe  in  the  hands  of 
these  brigands,  and  should  certainly  advise  you  to  make 
no  attempt  to  leave  them  until  you  are  perfectly  well  and 
strong. 

"I  have,  as  you  directed  me,  hidden  a  few  pieces  of 
gold  in  your  shoe,  and  have  handed  the  rest  of  your  money 
to  your  man,  who  is  starting  to  join  you.  He  will  conceal 
it  about  him.  I  have  just  heard  that  a  body  of  troops  are 
starting  at  once  for  the  forest,  and  that  orders  have  been 


WITH    BRIGANDS  211 

sent  to  other  towns  to  send  detachments  into  it  at  differ- 
ent points,  so  it  is  evident  the  authorities  are  determined  to 
catch  you  if  possible.  If  you  had  killed  half  a  dozen 
traders  in  a  smaller  way  they  would  have  cared  little  about 
it;  but  just  at  present,  pressed  as  the  king  is  by  want  of 
money,  he  is  bound  to  do  everything  he  can  to  please  the 
Jewish  traders,  as  it  is  upon  them  that  he  must  rely  for 
loans  for  the  payment  of  his  troops. 

"  In  this  matter,  then,  he  will  leave  no  stone  unturned  to 
gratify  them,  and  I  should  strongly  advise  your  band  to 
move  away  from  the  neighbourhood,  at  any  rate  for  a 
time.  They  may  plunder  whole  villages  with  impunit}', 
but  what  is  regarded  as  the  murder  of  the  richest  citizen 
of  Warsaw,  a  man  mixed  up  in  business  and  politics  with 
half  the  principal  nobles  of  the  land,  is  a  different  matter 
altogether.  Do  not  think  of  trying  to  traverse  the  country 
until  you  are  perfectly  strong.  It  will  be  a  dangerous 
business  at  the  best,  but  with  your  man  with  you  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  replying  to  questions,  I  have  every  confidence 
that  you  will  succeed  in  making  your  way  through.  As  to 
this,  I  can  give  no  advice,  as  there  is  no  saying  as  to  the 
point  from  which  you  may  start,  or  the  directions  in  which 
you  may  travel. 

"Should  you  at  any  time  find  yourself  in  a  town  in  which 
there  are  any  of  my  countrymen  established  in  trade,  and 
you  will  find  them  nearly  everywhere,  use  my  name.  I 
think  it  is  pretty  generally  known  to  Scotchmen  in  Poland. 
You  will  see  I  have  inclosed  a  note  that  will  be  useful  to 
you." 

The  inclosure  contained  only  a  few  words :  "  I,  xAllan 
Ramsay,  merchant  of  Warsaw,  do  declare  the  bearer  of  this 
note  to  be  my  friend,  and  beg  any  countrymen  of  mine  to 
whom  he  may  present  himself,  to  assist  him  in  every  way, 
and  should  he  require  money,  to  furnish  him  with  it,  I 
undertaking   to   make    myself    responsible    for  the    same, 


212  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

and  to  pay  all  monies  and  other  charges  that   he   may 
incur." 

"The  first  thing  to  do,"  Charlie  said,  as  he  placed  the 
letters  in  his  doublet,  "is  to  let  the  leader  of  our  band 
know  that  other  bodies  of  troops  besides  that  at  the  hut 
are  about  to  enter  the  forest.  He  may  decide  that  it  is 
necessary  to  march  away  at  once." 

As  soon,  indeed,  as  the  outlaw  received  the  tidings,  he 
issued  orders  for  the  band  to  prepare  for  instant  departure. 
"A  party  of  five  or  six  men  together/'  he  said  to  Charlie, 
"  might  hide  in  this  forest  for  years.  But  a  band  of  fifty 
is  too  large  to  be  long  concealed.  To  begin  with,  they 
must  get  food,  and  must  either  buy  it  or  hunt  for  it;  and 
in  the  second,  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  men 
living  in  the  forest,  charcoal-burners  and  herders  of  goats 
and  swine,  and  any  of  these,  if  questioned  by  the  troops, 
might  mention  that  they  had  seen  a  considerable  number 
of  men  passing.  As  it  is,  we  will  break  up  into  parties  of 
seven  or  eight,  and  appoint  a  rendezvous  where  we  may 
meet  again." 

The  band  was  speedily  mustered,  for  with  the  exception 
of  those  who  were  watching  the  forest  through  which  the 
troops  at  the  hut  must  march  to  reach  them,  the  whole 
were  close  at  hand.  A  messenger  was  sent  off  to  call  in  the 
scouts.  Then  the  booty  that  had  been  taken  during  their 
late  excursions  was  brought  out  and  emptied  on  the 
ground.  It  consisted  of  money  and  jewellery.  It  was 
divided  into  equal  portions,  of  which  each  member  took 
one,  the  lieutenants  of  the  band  two,  and  the.  captain  three. 
"You  don't  share  this  time,"  the  latter  said  to  Charlie; 
"but  next  time,  of  course,  you  and  your  comrade  will  each 
have  your  portion." 

When  this  was  done,  the  men  were  told  off  in  parties  of 
six  or  seven,  and  instructions  given  as  to  the  point  of  ren- 
dezvous.    Each  band  chose  its  own  leader,  and  in  an  hour 


WITH   BRIGANDS  213 

from  the  reception  of  the  news  the  place  was  deserted,  and 
the  parties  were  making  their  way  in  different  directions 
through  the  forest.  Charlie  and  Stanislas  formed  part  of 
the  captain's  own  force,  which  numbered  ten  in  all. 

"Do  you  think  they  will  all  turn  up  at  the  meeting- 
place?"  Charlie  asked  the  leader,  whose  name  he  now 
ascertained  was  Ladislas  Koffski. 

"They  may,"  he  said.  "But  it  is  seldom  that  bands 
when  they  once  disperse  like  this  ever  come  together  again. 
It  is  impossible  to  content  every  one,  and  any  man  who  is 
chosen  leader  of  a  party  may,  if  he  is  dissatisfied,  persuade 
those  with  him  to  join  some  other  band.  Even  if  they  do 
not  go  in  a  body,  many  are  sure  to  break  off  and  make  for 
their  homes  to  enjoy  the  booty  they  have  gathered.  But 
upon  the  other  hand,  as  we  go  we  shall  gather  up  fresh 
recruits.  With  so  many  disbanded  soldiers  and  discon- 
tented men  roaming  the  country,  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
getting  as  many  men  as  one  cares  to  keep  together. 

"Fifty  is  the  outside  that  is  advisable,  for  with  more, 
even  if  one  makes  a  good  haul,  it  comes  to  so  little  a  head 
that  the  men  are  dissatisfied.  Of  course  they  work  in  small 
parties,  but  this  does  not  succeed  so  well  as  when  a  small 
band  are  under  a  single  leader." 

"How  long  have  you  been  at  this  work? " 
"Since  last  autumn." 
"And  you  find  it  pay?  " 

"We  do  not  get  much  in  money.  As  you  saw,  there  were 
but  four  rix-dollars  a  head,  and  that  is  the  result  of  a 
month's  work.  Still  that  is  not  bad  for  men  who  might 
otherwise  starve.  Sometimes  we  do  worse  and  sometimes 
better,  but  that  is  about  the  average.  Still,  the  life  is  a 
pleasant  one,  and  unless  we  disbanded  soldiers  took  to  it, 
what  would  there  be  for  us  to  do  ?  If  government  would 
keep  us  on  regular  pay  there  would  soon  be  no  brigands 
left,  except  the  men  who  have  escaped  from  justice.     But 


214 


A  JACOBITE    EXILE 


the  treasury  is  empty,  and  even  at  the  best  of  times  the 
troops  are  badly  and  irregularly  paid,  and  are  forced  to 
plunder  to  keep  life  together.  They  are  almost  in  rags, 
and  though  we  Poles  do  not  mind  fighting,  there  is  generally 
a  difficulty  in  getting  sufficient  infantry.  As  for  the  cav- 
alry, they  are  nobles,  and  draw  no  pay.  How  do  you  feel 
to-day?" 

"Better.  The  night's  rest  and  a  wash  and  change  of 
clothes  this  morning  have  made  me  feel  another  man. 
How  far  do  you  intend  to  march?  " 

"  We  shall  go  slowly  for  a  day  or  two.  The  other  parties 
have  all  pushed  on  ahead  fast,  but  by  taking  matters  quietly, 
and  by  keeping  a  sharp  look-out,  we  need  have  no  great 
fear  of  being  surprised.  I  know  the  forest  well  and  its 
thickest  hiding-places,  so  we  can  afford  to  travel  slowly, 
and  as  you  become  accustomed  to  it  you  will  be  able  to 
make  longer  journeys." 

For  ten  'days  they  travelled  through  the  forest,  increasing 
their  distance  daily  as  Charlie  regained  his  strength.  The 
last  day  or  two  they  did  not  make  less  than  twenty  miles  a 
day.  Their  faces  were  turned  steadily  east.  Occasionally 
they  passed  large  tracts  of  cleared  land,  villages,  and  culti- 
vated fields.  At  some  of  these  they  stopped  and  replen- 
ished their  stock  of  flour,  which  they  took  without  paying 
for  it,  but  did  no  farther  damage.  Of  meat  they  had 
abundance.  Two  or  three  men  started  each  day  as  soon 
as  they  halted,  and  in  a  short  time  returned  with  a  goat 
or  young  pig. 

"We  are  now  close  to  the  Bug  River,"  Ladislas  said  at 
their  last  halting-place.  "To-morrow  we  shall  meet  some 
at  least  of  our  comrades.  I  do  not  expect  a  great  many, 
for  we  were  pretty  equally  divided  as  to  the  direction  we 
should  travel  in.  Practically  we  were  safe  from  pursuit 
when  we  had  gone  fifteen  miles,  for  the  forest  there  spreads 
out  greatly,  and  those  in  search  of  us  would  know  that 


WITH    BRIGANDS  215 

further  pursuit  would  be  useless.  Many  of  my  men  did 
not  care  about  going  farther,  but  all  this  part  of  the  country 
has  been  so  harried  for  the  last  two  or  three  years  that  we 
thought  it  best  to  try  altogether  new  ground.  When  we 
have  crossed  the  Bug  we  shall  be  beyond  the  forest,  but 
there  are  great  swamps  and  morasses,  and  hills  with  patches 
of  wood;  many  streams  take  their  rise  there,  all  meeting 
farther  on  and  forming  the  Dnieper.  We  must  keep  north 
of  that  river,  for  to  the  south  the  country  is  thinly  populated, 
and  we  should  have  difficulty  in  maintaining  ourselves." 

Charlie  made  no  comment,  but  he  was  glad  to  hear  that 
the  band  intended  to  keep  to  the  north  of  the  Dnieper,  for 
that  river  would  have  formed  a  serious  obstacle  to  his  mak- 
ing his  way  to  rejoin  the  Swedes.  The  next  day  they 
reached  the  bank  of  the  Bug,  and  following  the  river  down, 
came  after  an  hour's  walking  upon  a  great  fire,  round  which 
fifteen  men  were  stretched.  These  as  the  captain's  party 
approached  rose  to  their  feet  with  a  shout  of  welcome. 

''That  is  better  than  I  expected,"  Ladislas  said  as  they 
came  up  to  them.  "  Five-and-twenty  is  quite  enough  for 
work  here.  In  the  forests  one  can  do  with  more,  but, 
moving  steadily  on  as  we  mean  to  do  till  we  get  pretty  near 
the  eastern  frontier,  five-and-twenty  is  ample.  It  is  enough 
when  together  to  surprise  a  village,  and  it  is  not  too  many 
travelling  in  twos  and  threes  to  attract  attention.  Things 
always  go  on  better  too  after  a  dispersal.  Many  who  are 
discontented  or  who  want  to  command  a  band  of  their  own 
break  off,  and  one  starts  fresh  with  just  the  men  one  likes 
best  to  keep." 

"We  had  begun  to  give  you  up,  captain,"  one  of  the 
men  said  as  he  joined  the  other  party.  "We  have  been 
here  six  days." 

"We  travelled  but  slowly  at  first,  and  it  is  only  the  last 
two  days  we  have  really  made  fair  journeys;  but  there 
was  no  reason  for  any  great  haste.     The  world  is  all  our 


216  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

own,  and  at  any  rate  as  long  as  we  were  in  the  forest  there 
was  no  fear  of  wanting  food.  So  I  see  some  of  our  com- 
rades have  left  us." 

"We  can  do  very  well  without  them,  captain.  There 
were  thirty  of  us  here  two  days  ago.  Essos  and  Polinski 
quarrelled,  and  Essos  was  killed.  Then  Polinski  wanted 
us  to  elect  him  captain,  and  to  move  away  at  once.  Four 
or  five  who  have  always  been  grumblers  joined  him  at  once, 
and  persuaded  some  of  the  others  till  we  were  about  equally 
divided.  It  came  pretty  nearly  to  a  fight;  but  neither  liked 
to  begin,  and  they  moved  away." 

"There  are  quite  enough  of  us  left,"  Ladislas  said.  "As 
to  Essos  and  Polinski,  I  am  heartily  glad  that  they  have 
gone.  I  know  they  have  both  been  scheming  for  the 
leadership  for  some  time.  Most  of  the  others  can  be  very 
well  spared  too.  There  are  plenty  of  us  here  for  travel. 
There  is  no  doubt,  as  we  agreed  before  starting,  that  there 
is  not  much  more  to  be  done  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
What  with  the  civil  wars  and  the  bands  of  soldiers  without 
a  leader,  and  others  like  ourselves  who  do  not  mean  to 
starve,  the  peasants  have  been  wrought  up  into  a  state  of 
desperation.  They  have  little  left  to  lose,  but  what  they 
have  got  they  are  ready  to  fight  to  the  death  for,  and  lately 
at  the  first  alarm  they  have  sounded  the  bells  and  assembled 
for  miles  round,  and,  equipped  with  scythes  and  flails, 
routed  those  who  meddled  with  them.  We  had  more  than 
one  hot  fight,  and  lost  many  good  men.  Besides,  many  of 
the  nobles  who  have  suffered  have  turned  out  with  their 
followers  and  struck  heavy  blows  at  some  of  the  bands;  so 
that  the  sooner  we  get  out  of  this  country,  which  is  becom- 
ing a  nest  of  hornets,  the  better,  for  there  is  little  booty  and 
plenty  of  hard  blows  to  be  got. 

"We  will  go  on  as  we  agreed  till  near  the  eastern  frontier. 
The  country  is  well  covered  with  forest  there,  and  we  can 
sally  out  on  v/hich  side  we  like,  for  if  there  is  not  much 


WITH   BRIGANDS  217 

gold  to  be  had  in  the  Russian  villages,  there  is  plenty  of 
vodka,  and  sometimes  things  worth  taking  in  their  churches. 
The  priests  and  headmen  too  have  generally  got  a  little 
store,  which  can  be  got  at  with  the  aid  of  a  few  hot  coals  or 
a  string  t^visted  tight  enough  round  a  thumb.  At  any  rate 
we  sha'n't  starve;  but  we  must  move  on  pretty  fast,  for  we 
shall  have  to  get  up  a  warm  hut  in  the  forest  and  to  lay  in 
a  stock  of  provisions  before  the  winter  sets  in.  So  we 
must  only  stop  to  gather  a  little  plunder  when  a  good 
opportunity  offers." 


CHAPTER  XII 

TREED    BY   WOLVES 

CHARLIE  and  Stanislas  were  that  evening  sitting  apart 
from  the  rest  at  a  short  distance  from  the  fire  talking 
over  the  future.  They  agreed  that  it  would  be  compara- 
tively easy  to  withdraw  from  the  band  as  they  journeyed 
forward,  if,  as  seemed  likely,  they  travelled  in  very  small 
parties.  If  indeed  they  found  themselves  with  two  others 
they  could  leave  openly,  for  these  would  scarcely  care  to 
enter  upon  a  desperate  struggle  merely  for  the  sake  of 
retaining  two  unwilling  companions  in  the  band.  The 
difficulties  would  only  begin  when  they  started  alone.  As 
they  were  talking  the  captain  came  across  to  them. 

"I  can  guess,"  he  said,  "that  you  are  talking  together  as 
to  the  future.  I  like  you,  young  Englishman,  and  I  like 
your  companion,  who  seems  an  honest  fellow,  but  I  would 
not  keep  you  with  me  by  force.  I  understand  that  you  are 
not  placed  as  we  are.  We  have  to  live.  Most  of  us  would 
live  honestly  if  we  could,  but  at  present  it  is  the  choice  of 
doing  as  we  do  or  starving.  We  occasionally  take  a  few 
crowns  if  we  come  across  a  fat  trader,  or  may  ease  a  rich 
farmer  of  his' hoard,  but  it  is  but  seldom  such  a  chance 
comes  in  our  way.  As  a  rule  we  simply  plunder  because 
we  must  live.  It  is  different  with  you.  Your  friends  may 
be  far  away,  but  if  you  can  get  to  them  you  would  have  all 

218 


TREED    BY   WOLVES  219 

that  you  need.  Therefore,  this  life,  which  is  hard  and 
rough,  to  say  nothing  of  its  danger,  does  not  suit  you;  but 
for  all  that,  you  must  stay  with  us,  for  it  would  be  madness 
for  you  to  attempt  to  escape. 

"As  I  told  you,  the  peasants  are  maddened,  and  would 
kill  any  passing  stranger  as  they  would  a  wild  beast.  They 
would  regard  him  as  a  spy  of  some  band  like  ours  or  of  a 
company  of  disbanded  soldiers,  sent  forward  to  discover 
which  houses  and  villages  are  best  worth  plundering.  In 
your  case  you  have  other  dangers  to  fear.  You  may  be 
sure  that  news  has  been  sent  from  Warsaw  to  all  the  differ- 
ent governors  with  orders  for  your  arrest  for  killing  Ben 
Soloman,  and  these  orders  will  be  transmitted  to  every  town 
and  village.  Your  hair  and  eyes  would  at  once  betray  you 
as  strangers,  and  your  ignorance  of  the  language  would  be 
fatal  to  you.  If,  therefore,  you  escaped  being  killed  as  a 
robber  by  the  peasants,  you  would  run  the  risk  of  arrest  at 
the  first  town  or  village  you  entered. 

"Translate  that  to  him,  Stanislas.  He  is  learning  our 
language  fast,  but  he  cannot  understand  all  that." 

"That  is  just  what  we  were  talking  about,"  Charlie  said 
when  Stanislas  had  repeated  the  captain's  speech,  "and  the 
danger  seems  too  great  to  be  risked.  Think  you,  that  when 
we  get  farther  to  the  east,  we  shall  be  able  to  make  our  way 
more  easily  up  into  Livonia?  " 

"  Much  more  easily,  because  the  forest  is  more  extensive 
there;  but  not  until  the  winter  is  over.  The  cold  will  be 
terrible,  and  it  would  be  death  to  sleep  without  shelter. 
Besides  the  forests  are  infested  with  wolves,  who  roam 
about  in  packs,  and  would  scent  and  follow  and  devour  you. 
But  when  spring  comes  you  can  turn  your  faces  to  the 
north  and  leave  us  if  you  think  fit,  and  I  promise  you  that 
no  hindrance  shall  be  thrown  in  your  way.  I  only  ask  you 
not  to  risk  your  lives  by  trying  now  to  pass  through  Poland 
alone." 


220  A  JACOBITE  EXILE 

"I  think  you  are  right,  Ladislas,  and  I  promise  you 
that  we  will  not  attempt  to  leave  you  during  our  journey 
east.  As  you  say,  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to 
travel  after  winter  had  once  set  in.  It  is  now  the  end  of 
September." 

"  And  it  will  be  November  before  we  reach  our  destina- 
tion. We  shall  not  travel  fast;  we  have  no  motive  for 
doing 'so.  We  have  to  live  by  the  way,  and  to  gather  a 
little  money  to  help  us  through  the  winter.  We  may  shoot 
a  bear  or  an  elk  sometimes,  a  few  deer,  and  hares,  but  we 
shall  want  two  or  three  sacks  of  flour  and  some  spirits. 
For  these  we  must  either  get  money  or  take  the  goods. 
The  first  is  the  best,  for  we  have  no  means  of  dragging 
heavy  weights  with  us,  and  it  would  not  do  to  infuriate  the 
peasants  by  plundering  any  of  them  within  twenty  miles  of 
the  place  where  we  mean  to  winter.  That  would  set  them 
all  against  us." 

"  I  tell  you  frankly,  Ladislas,  that  we  shall  not  be  willing 
to  aid  in  any  acts  of  robbery.  Of  course,  when  one  is  with 
an  army  one  has  to  plunder  on  a  large  scale,  and  it  has 
often  gone  terribly  against  the  grain  when  I  have  had  to 
join  parties  sent  out  to  forage.  But  it  has  to  be  done;  I 
would  rather  not  join  men  in  taking  food,  yet  I  understand 
that  it  may  be  necessary.  But  as  to  taking  money,  I  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  At  the  same  time  I  understand 
that  we  cannot  share  your  food  and  be  with  you  without 
doing  something.  Stanislas  has  brought  me  a  little  money 
from  Warsaw,  and  I  shall  be  ready  to  pay  into  the  common 
treasury  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  for  our  share  of  the  food. 
As  to  money  taken,  we  shall  not  expect  any  share  of  it.  If 
you  are  attacked  we  shall  of  course  fight,  and  shall  be  ready 
to  do  our  full  share  in  all  work.  So  at  any  rate  you  will  not 
be  losers  by  taking  us  with  you." 

'•'That  is  fair  enough,"  the  captain  said  when  Stanislas 
had  translated  what  Charlie  said,  suppressing,  however,  his 


TREED   BY   WOLVES  221 

remarks  about  foraging  with  the  army,  as  the  brigands  were 
ignorant  that  Charlie  and  he  had  any  connection  with  the 
Swedes,  or  that  he  was  not,  as  he  had  given  out,  a  young 
Englishman  come  out  to  set  up  as  a  trader. 

The  band  now  journeyed  slowly  on,  keeping  near  the 
north  bank  of  the  Dnieper.  They  went  by  twos  and  threes, 
uniting  sometimes  and  entering  a  village  or  surrounding  a 
farmhouse  at  night,  and  taking  what  they  wanted.  The 
people  were,  however,  terribly  poor,  and  they  were  able  to 
obtain  but  little  beyond  scanty  supplies  of  flour  and  occa- 
sionally a  few  gold  or  silver  trinkets.  Many  other  bands 
of  plunderers  had  passed  along  in  the  course  of  the  summer, 
and  the  robbers  themselves  were  often  moved  to  pity  by  the 
misery  that  they  everywhere  met  with.  When  in  small 
parties  they  were  obliged  to  avoid  entering  any  villages,  for 
once  or  twice  furious  attacks  were  made  upon  those  who 
did  so,  the  women  joining  the  men  in  arming  themselves 
with  any  weapon  that  came  to  hand  and  in  falling  upon  the 
strangers. 

Only  once  did  they  succeed  in  obtaining  plunder  of 
value.  They  had  visited  a  village,  but  found  it  contained 
nothing  worth  taking.  One  of  the  women  said, "  Why  do 
you  trouble  poor  people  like  us?  There  is  the  count's 
chateau  three  miles  away.  They  have  every  luxury  there, 
while  we  are  starving."  After  leaving  the  village  the  man 
to  whom  she  had  spoken  repeated  what  she  had  said,  and 
it  was  agreed  to  make  the  attempt.  At  the  first  cottage 
they  came  to  they  made  further  inquiries,  and  found  that 
the  lord  of  the  soil  was  very  unpopular;  for,  in  spite  of  the 
badness  of  the  times,  he  insisted  on  receiving  his  rents 
without  abatement,  and  where  money  was  not  forthcoming, 
had  seized  cattle  and  horses,  assessing  them  at  a  price 
far  below  what  they  would  have  fetched  at  the  nearest 
market. 

They  therefore   marched  to  the  house.     It  was  a  very 


222  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

large  one.  The  captain  thoughtfully  placed  Charlie  and 
Stanislas  among  the  six  men  who  were  to  remain  without, 
to  prevent  any  of  the  inmates  leaving  the  chateau.  With 
the  rest  he  made  a  sudden  attack  on  the  great  door  of  the 
house,  and  beat  it  down  with  a  heavy  sledge-hammer. 
Just  as  it  gave  way  some  shots  were  fired  from  the  inside, 
but  they  rushed  in,  overpowered  the  servants,  and  were 
soon  masters  of  the  place.  In  half  an  hour  they  came 
out  again  laden  with  booty,  each  man  carried  half  a  dozen 
bottles  of  choice  wine  from  the  count's  cellar  slung  at  his 
belt.  On  their  shoulders  they  carried  bundles  containing 
silver  cups  and  other  valuables;  while  six  of  them  had 
bags  of  silver  money  that  had  been  extracted  from  the 
count  by  threats  of  setting  fire  to  the  chateau  and  burning 
him  and  his  family. 

A  halt  was  made  two  or  three  miles  away,  when  the 
silver  was  divided  into  shares  as  usual,  the  men  being  well 
satisfied  when  they  learned  that  Charlie  and  his  compan- 
ion claimed  no  part  of  it;  some  of  the  provisions  they  had 
also  taken  were  eaten;  each  man  had  a  flask  of  wine,  with 
which  the  count's  health  was  derisively  drunk. 

"This  has  been  a  good  night's  work,"  the  leader  said, 
"and  you  have  each  sixty  rix-dollars  in  your  pockets,  which 
is  more  than  you  have  had  for  months  past.  That  will 
keep  us  in  provisions  and  spirits  all  through  the  winter; 
but  mind,  although  we  took  it  without  much  trouble,  we 
have  not  heard  the  last  of  the  business.  No  doubt  by  this 
time  the  count  has  sent  off  a  messenger  to  the  nearest  town 
where  there  are  troops,  and  for  a  day  or  two  we  shall  have 
to  march  fast  and  far.  It  is  one  thing  to  plunder  villages, 
and  another  to  meddle  with  a  rich  nobleman." 

For  the  next  forty-eight  hours  they  marched  by  night 
instead  of  by  day,  keeping  always  together,  and  prepared 
to  resist  an  attack.  One  morning  they  saw,  from  their 
hiding-place  among  some  high  reeds  near  the  river,  a  body 


TREED   BY   WOLVES  223 

of  about  sixty  horsemen  ride  past  at  a  distance.  They 
were  evidently  searching  for  something,  for  parties  could 
be  seen  to  break  off  several  times,  and  to  enter  woods  and 
copses,  the  rest  halting  till  they  came  out  again.  As  the 
band  had  with  them  enough  food  for  another  three  days, 
they  remained  for  thirty-six  hours  in  their  hiding-place, 
and  then,  thinking  the  search  would  by  that  time  be  dis- 
continued, went  on  again.  The  next  day  they  killed  two 
or  three  goats  from  a  herd,  the  boy  in  charge  of  them  mak- 
ing off  with  such  speed  that,  though  hotly  pursued  and  fired 
at  several  times,  he  made  his  escape.  They  carried  the 
carcasses  to  a  wood,  lit  a  fire,  and  feasted  upon  them. 
Then  having  cooked  the  rest  of  the  flesh,  they  divided  it 
among  the  band. 

By  this  time  the  wine  was  finished.  The  next  day  they 
again  saw  horsemen  in  the  distance,  but  remained  in  hid- 
ing till  they  had  disappeared  in  the  afternoon.  They  then 
went  into  a  village,  but  scarcely  had  they  proceeded  up 
the  street  when  the  doors  were  opened,  and  from  every 
house  men  rushed  out  armed  with  flails,  clubs,  and  axes, 
and  fell  upon  them  furiously,  shouting  "  Death  to  the  rob- 
bers! "  They  had  evidently  received  warning  that  a  band 
of  plunderers  were  approaching,  and  everything  had  been 
prepared  for  them.  The  band  fought  stoutly,  but  they 
were  greatly  outnumbered,  and  as  but  few  of  them  carried 
firearms  they  had  no  great  advantage  in  weapons.  Char- 
lie and  Stanislas,  finding  that  their  lives  were  at  stake,  were 
forced  to  take  part  in  the  fray,  and  both  were  with  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  band,  who  at  last  succeeded  in  fighting  their 
way  out  of  the  village,  leaving  half  their  number  behind 
them,  while  some  twenty  of  the  peasants  had  fallen.  Re- 
duced now  to  twelve  men  and  the  captain,  they  thought 
only  of  pushing  forward,  avoiding  all  villages,  and  only 
occasionally  visiting  detached  houses  for  the  sake  of  ob- 
taining flour.     The  country  became  more  thinly  populated 


224  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

as  they  went  on,  and  there  was  a  deep  feeling  of  satisfac- 
tion when  at  length  their  leader  pointed  to  a  belt  of  trees 
in  the  distance  and  said,  "That  is  the  beginning  of  the 
forest.  A  few  miles  farther,  and  we  shall  be  well  within 
it." 

By  nightfall  they  felt,  for  the  first  time  since  they  had  set 
out  on  their  journey,  that  they  could  sleep  in  safety.  A 
huge  fire  was  lit,  for  the  nights  were  now  becoming  very 
cold,  and  snow  had  fallen  occasionally  for  the  last  four  or 
five  days,  and  in  the  open  country  was  lying  some  inches 
deep.  The  next  day  they  journeyed  a  few  miles  farther, 
and  then  chose  a  spot  for  the  erection  of  a  hut.  It  was 
close  to  a  stream,  and  the  men  at  once  set  to  work  with 
axes  to  fell  trees  and  clear  a  space.  It  was  agreed  that  the 
captain  and  two  of  the  men  of  the  most  pacific  demeanour 
should  go  to  the  nearest  town,  some  forty  miles  away,  to 
lay  in  stores.  They  were  away  five  days,  and  then  re- 
turned with  the  welcome  news  that  a  cart  laden  with  flour 
and  a  couple  of  barrels  of  spirits  was  on  a  country  track 
through  the  forest  a  mile  and  a  half  away. 

"How  did  you  manage,  captain?  "  Charlie  asked. 

"We  went  to  the  house  of  a  well-to-do  peasant,  about  a 
mile  from  the  borders  of  the  wood;  I  told  him  frankly 
that  we  belonged  to  a  band  who  were  going  to  winter  in 
the  forest,  that  we  would  do  him  no  harm  if  he  would 
give  us  his  aid,  but  that  if  he  refused  he  would  soon  have 
his  place  burnt  over  his  head.  As  we  said  we  were  ready 
to  pay  a  fair  sum  for  the  hire  of  his  cart,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate a  moment  about  making  the  choice.  The  other  two 
remained  at  his  cottage,  so  as  to  keep  his  family  as  hos- 
tages for  his  good  faith,  and  I  went  with  him  to  the  town, 
where  we  bought  six  sacks  of  good  flour  and  the  two  barrels 
of  spirits.  We  got  a  few  other  things — cooking  pots  and 
horns,  and  a  lot  of  coarse  blankets,  and  a  thick  sheep-skin 
coat  for  each  man;  they  are  all  in  the  car.     I  see  that  you 


TREED    BY   WOLVES  225 

have  got  the  hut  pretty  nearly  roofed  in,  so  in  a  day  or 
two  we  shall  be  comfortable." 

They  went  in  a  body  to  the  place  where  the  cart  had 
been  left,  but  it  required  two  journeys  before  its  contents 
were  all  transported  to  the  hut.  Another  three  days  and 
this  was  completed;  it  was  roughly  built  of  logs,  the  inter- 
stices being  filled  in  with  moss.  There  was  no  attempt  at 
a  door,  an  opening  being  left  four  feet  high  and  eighteen 
inches  wide  for  the  purpose  of  an  entry.  The  skin  of  a 
deer  they  had  shot  since  they  arrived  was  hung  up  outside, 
and  a  folded  rug  inside ;  there  was  no  occasion  for  windows, 
a  certain  amount  of  light  made  its  way  in  by  an  orifice  a 
foot  square,  that  had  been  left  in  the  roof  for  the  escape 
of  smoke.  The  hut  itself  consisted  of  one  room  only, 
about  eighteen  feet  square.  When  this  was  finished,  all 
hands  set  to  work  to  pile  up  a  great  stack  of  firewood  close 
to  the  door,  so  as  to  save  them  from  the  necessity  of  going 
far  until  snow  had  ceased  falling  and  winter  had  set  in  in 
earnest. 

The  cart  had  brought  six  carcasses  of  sheep  that  had 
been  purchased  from  a  peasant;  these  were  hung  up  out- 
side the  hut  to  freeze  hard,  and  the  meat  was  eaten  only 
once  a  day,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  obtain  a  fresh 
supply  until  the  weather  became  settled  enough  to  admit 
of  their  hunting.  The  preparations  were  but  just  finished 
when  the  snow  began  to  fall  heavily.  For  a  week  it  came 
down  without  intermission,  the  wind  howled  among  the 
trees,  and  even  Charlie,  half-stified  as  he  was  by  the  smoke, 
felt  no  inclination  to  stir  out,  except  for  half  an  hour's 
work  to  clear  away  the  snow  from  the  entrance,  and  to  carry 
in  wood  from  the  pile.  The  time  passed  more  cheerfully 
than  might  have  been  expected.  He  had  by  this  time 
begun  to  talk  Polish  with  some  facility,  and  was  able  to 
understand  the  stories  that  the  men  told  as  they  sat  round 
the  fire,   sometimes  tales  of  adventures   they  themselves 


226  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

had  gone  through,  sometimes  stories  of  the  history  of 
Poland,  its  frequent  internal  wars,  and  its  struggles  with 
the  Turks. 

Making  bread  and  cooking  occupied  some  portion  of 
the  time,  and  much  was  spent  in  sleep.  At  the  end  of  a 
week  the  snow  ceased  falling  and  the  sun  came  out,  and  all 
were  glad  to  leave  the  hut  and  enjoy  the  clear  sky  and  the 
keen  air.  While  they  had  been  confined  to  the  hut,  two 
of  the  men  had  made  a  large  number  of  snares  for  hares, 
and  they  at  once  started  into  the  forest  to  set  these  in 
spots  where  they  saw  traces  of  the  animals'  passage  over 
the  snow.  The  rest  went  off  in  parties  of  two's  and  three's 
in  search  of  other  game.  With  the  exception  of  Charlie, 
all  were  accustomed  to  the  woods;  but  as  Stanislas  had 
much  less  experience  than  the  others,  the  captain  decided 
to  go  with  them. 

"It  is  easy  for  anyone  to  lose  his  way  here,"  he  said; 
"  in  fact,  except  to  one  accustomed  to  the  woods,  it  would 
be  dangerous  to  go  far  away  from  the  hut.  As  long  as  it 
is  fine  you  will  find  your  way  back  by  following  your  own 
tracks,  but  if  the  weather  changed  suddenly,  and  it  came 
on  to  snow,  your  case  would  be  hopeless.  One  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  placing  our  hut  on  a  stream,  is  that  it  forms  a 
great  aid  to  finding  one's  way  back.  If  you  strike  it  above 
you  follow  it  down,  if  below  upwards,  until  you  reach  the 
hut.  Of  course  you  might  wander  for  days  and  never  hit 
it,  still  it  is  much  more  easy  to  find  than  a  small  object 
like  the  hut,  though  even  when  found  it  would  be  difhcult 
to  decide  whether  it  had  been  struck  above  or  below  the 
hut.  Now,  there  is  one  rule  if  at  any  time  you  get  lost  : 
don't  begin  to  wander  wildly  about,  for  if  you  did,  you 
would  certainly  walk  in  a  circle,  and  might  never  be  found 
again;  sit  down  quietly  and  think  matters  over,  eat  if  you 
have  got  any  food  with  you;  then  examine  the  sky,  and  try 
to  find  out  from  the  position  of  the  sun,  or  the  direction 


TREED   BY   WOLVES  227 

in  which  the  clouds  are  going,  which  way  the  hut  ought  to 
lie.  Always  take  with  you  one  of  your  pistols;  if  you  fire 
it  three  times  at  regular  intervals,  it  will  be  a  signal  that 
you  want  help,  and  any  of  us  who  are  within  hearing  will 
come  to  aid  you." 

With  the  exception  of  hares,  of  which  a  good  many 
were  snared,  the  hunting  was  not  productive.  Tracks  of 
deer  were  seen  not  unfrequently,  but  it  was  extremely 
difficult,  even  when  the  animals  were  sighted,  to  get  across 
the  surface  of  the  snow  to  within  range  of  the  clumsy 
arquebuses  that  two  or  three  of  the  men  carried.  They 
did,  however,  manage  to  shoot  a  few  by  erecting  a  shelter 
just  high  enough  for  one  man  to  lie  down  under,  and  leav- 
ing it  until  the  next  snowstorm  so  covered  it  that  it  seemed 
but  a  knoll  in  the  ground,  or  a  low  shrub  bent  down  and 
buried  under  the  weight  of  the  snow.  These  shelters  were 
erected  close  to  paths  taken  by  the  deer,  and  by  lying 
patiently  all  day  in  them  the  men  occasionally  managed  to 
get  a  close  shot.  Several  bears  were  killed  and  two  elks. 
These  afforded  food  for  a  long  time,  as  the  frozen  flesh 
would  keep  until  the  return  of  spring.  Holes  were  made 
in  the  ice  on  the  stream,  and  baited  hooks  being  set  every 
night,  it  was  seldom  that  two  or  three  fish  were  not  found 
fast  on  them  in  the  morning.  Altogether,  therefore,  there 
was  no  lack  of  food;  and,  as  under  the  teaching  of  the 
captain,  Charlie  in  time  learnt  to  be  able  to  keep  his 
direction  through  the  woods,  he  was  often  able  to  go 
out  either  with  Stanislas  or  alone,  thus  keeping  clear  of 
the  close  smoky  hut  during  the  hours  of  daylight.  Upon 
the  whole  he  found  the  life  by  no  means  an  unpleasant 
one. 

Among  the  articles  purchased  by  the  captain  were  high 
boots  lined  with  sheep-skin  coming  up  to  the  thigh.  With 
these  and  the  coats,  which  had  hoods  to  pull  over  the  head, 
Charlie  felt  the  cold  but  little  during  the  day;  while  at 


228  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

night  he  found  the  hut  often  uncomfortably  warm,  sleeping 
as  they  all  did  in  the  same  attire  in  which  they  went  out. 
In  February  the  weather  became  excessively  severe,  more 
so,  the  peasants  and  charcoal-burners,  they  occasionally 
met  with,  declared,  than  they  ever  remembered.  The 
wild  animals  became  tamer,  and  in  the  morning  when 
they  went  out  they  frequently  found  tracks  of  bears  that 
had  been  prowling  round  the  hut  in  search  of  offal  or  bones 
thrown  out.  They  were  now  obliged  to  hang  their  supply 
of  meat  by  ropes  from  boughs  at  some  distance  from  the 
ground,  by  which  means  they  were  enabled  to  prevent  the 
bears  getting  at  it. 

They  no  longer  dared  to  venture  far  from  the  hut,  for 
large  packs  of  wolves  ranged  through  the  forest,  and,  driven 
by  hunger,  even  entered  villages,  where  they  attacked  and 
killed  many  women  and  children,  made  their  entrance 
into  sheds,  and  tore  dogs,  horses,  and  cattle  to  pieces,  and 
became  at  last  so  dangerous  that  the  villagers  were  obliged 
to  keep  great  fires  burning  in  the  streets  at  night  to  frighten 
them  away.  Several  times  the  occupants  of  the  hut  were 
awakened  by  the  whining  and  snarling  of  wolves  outside. 
But  the  walls  and  roof  were  alike  built  of  solid  timber,  and 
a  roughly-made  door  of  thick  wood  was  now  fastened  every 
night  against  the  opening,  and  so  stoutly  supported  by 
beams  behind  it  as  to  defy  assault.  Beyond,  therefore,  a 
passing  grumble  at  being  awakened  by  the  noise,  the  men 
gave  themselves  no  trouble  as  to  the  savage  animals  out- 
side. 

"If  these  brutes  grow  much  bolder,"  the  captain  said 
one  day,  "we  shall  be  prisoners  here  altogether.  They 
must  have  come  down  from  the  great  forest  that  extends 
over  a  large  part  of  Russia.  The  villages  are  scarce  there, 
and  the  peasants  take  good  care  to  keep  all  their  beasts  in 
shelter,  so  no  doubt  they  are  able  to  pick  up  more  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest  here." 


TREED    BY    WOLVES  229 

"How  far  are  we  from  the  Russian  frontier?" 

"I  do  not  think  anyone  could  tell  you.  For  aught  I 
know,  we  may  be  in  Russia  now.  These  forests  are  a  sort 
of  no-man's-land,  and  I  don't  suppose  any  line  of  frontier 
has  ever  been  marked.  It  is  Russia  to  the  east  of  this 
forest  some  thirty  miles  away,  and  it  is  Poland  to  the 
west  of  it.  The  forest  is  no  good  to  anyone  except  the 
charcoal-burners.  I  have  met  both  Russians  and  Poles  in 
the  wood,  and,  as  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  all — ay,  and 
would  be  were  there  a  thousand  to  every  one  now  working 
in  it — they  are  on  friendly  terms  with  each  other,  espe- 
cially as  the  two  nations  are  at  present  allied  against 
Sweden." 

In  spite  of  the  wolves  Charlie  continued  his  walks 
in  the  forest,  accompanied  always  by  Stanislas.  Both 
carried  axes  and  pistols,  and  although  Charlie  had  heard 
many  tales  of  solitary  men  and  even  of  vehicles  being 
attacked  by  the  wolves  in  broad  daylight,  he  believed 
that  most  of  the  stories  were  exaggerations,  and  that  the 
chances  of  two  men  being  attacked  in  daylight  were  small 
indeed. 

He  had  found  that  the  track  by  which  the  cart  had 
brought  the  stores  was  a  good  deal  used,  the  snow  being 
swept  away  or  levelled  by  the  runners  of  sledges,  either 
those  of  peasants  who  came  into  the  forest  for  wood  or 
charcoal,  or  of  travellers  journeying  between  Russia  and 
Poland.  He  generally  selected  this  road  for  his  walk,  both 
because  it  was  less  laborious  than  wading  through  the 
untrodden  snow,  and  because  there  was  here  no  fear  of 
losing  his  way,  and  he  was  spared  the  incessant  watchfulness 
for  signs  that  was  necessary  among  the  trees.  At  first  he 
had  frequently  met  peasants'  carts  on  the  road,  but  since 
the  cold  became  more  severe  and  the  wolves  more  numerous 
and  daring,  he  no  longer  encountered  them;  he  had  indeed 
heard  from  some  of  the  last  he  saw  that  they  should  come 


230  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

no  more,  for  that  the  charcoal-burners  were  all  abandoning 
their  huts  and  going  into  the  villages. 

One  afternoon,  when  they  had  on  their  return  nearly 
reached  the  spot  where  they  left  the  road  to  strike  across 
the  forest  to  the  hut,  they  heard  a  noise  behind  them. 

"That  is  a  pack  of  wolves  in  full  cry!"  Stanislas  ex- 
claimed. "  You  had  better  get  up  into  a  tree.  They  are 
after  something." 

They  hastily  clambered  into  a  tree,  whose  lower  branches 
were  but  six  or  seven  feet  from  the  ground.  A  moment 
later  two  horses  wild  with  fright  dashed  past,  while  some 
twenty  yards  behind  them  came  a  pack  of  fifty  or  sixty 
wolves.  They  were  almost  silent  now,  with  their  red 
tongues  hanging  out. 

"The  brutes  have  been  attacking  a  sledge,"  Stanislas  said 
in  a  low  tone.  "  You  saw  the  horses  were  harnessed,  and 
their  broken  traces  were  hanging  by  their  side.  It  is  easy 
to  read  the  story.  The  sledge  was  attacked,  the  horses  mad 
with  fear  broke  their  traces  and  rushed  off,  or  perhaps  the 
driver,  seeing  at  the  last  moment  that  escape  was  impos- 
sible, slashed  the  ropes  with  his  knife,  so  as  to  give  the 
horses  a  chance.  I  expect  they  got  a  start,  for  the  wolves 
would  be  detained  a  little  at  the  sledge." 

"Do  you  think  the  poor  beasts  will  get  safe  out  of  the 
forest,  Stanislas?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so,  but  they  may.  The  chase  has  evidently 
been  a  long  one,  and  the  wolves  have  tired  themselves  with 
their  first  efforts  to  come  up  to  them.  It  did  not  seem  to 
me  that  they  were  gaining  when  they  passed  us.  It  is 
simply  a  questioil  of  endurance,  but  I  fancy  the  wolves  will 
last  longest.  See,  here  is  a  party  of  stragglers.  I  suppose 
they  stopped  longer  at  the  sledge." 

"It  seems  to  me  they  are  on  our  scent,  Stanislas.  Do 
you  see  they  are  coming  along  at  the  side  of  the  road  where 
we  walked,  with  their  heads  down." 


TREED    BY   WOLVES  231 

"  I  am  afraid  they  are.  Well,  we  shall  soon  see.  Yes, 
they  are  leaving  the  road  where  we  did." 

A  moment  later  a  dozen  wolves  ran  up  to  the  trunk  of  the 
tree,  and  there  gathered  snuffing  and  whining.  Presently 
one  caught  sight  of  the  two  figures  above  them,  and  with  an 
angry  yelp  sprang  up  in  the  air,  and  immediately  all  were 
growling,  snarling,  and  leaping.  Charlie  laughed  out  loud 
at  their  impotent  efforts. 

"It  is  no  laughing  matter,  sir,"  Stanislas  said  gravely. 

"They  cannot  climb  up  here,  Stanislas." 

"  No,  but  they  can  keep  us  here.  It  will  be  dark  in  an 
hour,  and  likely  enough  they  will  watch  us  all  night." 

"Then  we  had  better  shoot  two  of  them,  and  jump  down 
with  our  hatchets.  Keeping  back  to  back,  we  ought  to  be 
able  to  face  ten  wolves." 

"Yes,  if  that  were  all:  but  see,  here  come  three  or  four 
more,  and  the  dozen  will  soon  swell  to  a  score.  No,  we 
shall  have  to  wait  here  all  night,  and  probably  for  some  time 
to-morrow,  for  the  men  are  not  likely  to  find  us  very  early, 
and  they  will  hardly  hear  our  pistols  unless  some  of  them 
happen  to  come  in  this  direction." 

"  Do  you  think  if  we  shoot  two  or  three  of  them  the  rest 
will  go?" 

"Certainly  not.  It  will  be  all  the  worse.  Their  com- 
rades would  at  once  tear  them  to  pieces  and  devour  them, 
and  the  scent  of  blood  would  very  soon  bring  others  to  the 
spot." 

"Well,  if  we  have  got  to  wait  here  all  night,  Stanislas, 
we  had  better  choose  the  most  comfortable  place  we  can  at 
once  before  it  gets  dark.  We  must  mind  we  don't  go  to 
sleep  and  tumble  off." 

"There  will  be  no  fear  of  our  sleeping,"  Stanislas  said. 
"The  cold  will  be  too  great  for  that.  We  shall  have  to 
keep  on  swinging  our  hands  and  feet  and  rubbing  our  noses 
to  prevent  ourselves  from  getting  frost-bitten." 


232  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Well,  T  have  never  felt  the  cold  in  these  clothes," 
Charlie  said. 

"  No,  sir,  but  you  have  never  been  out  at  night  sitting 
cramped  on  a  tree." 

Hour  after  hour  passed.  Even  in  the  darkness  they 
could  see  the  wolves  lying  in  the  snow  below  them,  occa- 
sionally changing  their  position,  keeping  close  together  for 
warmth,  and  often  snarling  or  growling  angrily  as  one  or 
two  shifted  their  position  and  tried  to  squeeze  in  so  as  to 
get  into  a  warm  spot. 

The  cold  was  intense,  and  in  spite  of  swinging  his  legs 
and  arms  Charlie  felt  that  hi^  vital  heat  was  decreasing. 

"  This  is  awful,  Stanislas.  I  do  not  think  we  can  last  on 
till  morning." 

"  I  begin  to  have  doubts  myself,  sir.  Perhaps  it  would 
be  better  to  leap  down  and  make  a  fight  of  it." 

"We  might  shoot  some  of  them  first,"  Charlie  said. 
"How  many  charges  have  you?  " 

"I  have  only  two  besides  one  in  the  barrel." 

"And  I  have  only  three,"  Charlie  said.  "Powder  has 
run  very  short;  the  captain  was  saying  yesterday  that  we 
must  send  to  the  village  and  try  to  get  some  more.  Still 
six  shots  will  help  us." 

"Not  much,  sir,  there  must  be  thirty  or  forty  of  them 
now.  I  have  seen  some  come  from  the  other  way.  I 
suppose  they  were  part  of  the  pack  that  followed  the 
horses." 

Charlie  sat  for  some  time  thinking.  Then  he  exclaimed : 
"I  think  this  is  a  dead  tree." 

"It  is,  sir;  I  noticed  it  when  we  climbed  up.  The  head 
has  gone,  and  I  think  it  must  have  been  struck  with  light- 
ning last  summer." 

"Then  I  think  we  can  manage." 

"Manage  what,  sir?"  the  man  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Manage  to  make  a  fire,  Stanislas.     First  of  all  we  will 


TREED    BV   WOLVES  233 

crawl  out  towards  the  ends  of  the  branches  as  far  as  we  can 
get,  and  break  off  twigs  and  small  boughs.  If  we  can't  get 
enough,  we  can  cut  chips  off,  and  we  will  pile  them  all 
where  these  three  big  boughs  branch  off  from  the  trunk. 
We  have  both  our  tinder-boxes  with  us,  and  I  see  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  be  able  to  light  a  fire  up  here." 

"So  we  might,"  Stanislas  said  eagerly.  "But  if  we  did 
we  might  set  the  whole  tree  on  fire." 

"No  bad  thing  either,"  Charlie  rejoined.  "You  may 
be  sure  the  fire  will  keep  the  wolves  at  a  respectful 
distance,  and  we  could  get  down  and  enjoy  the  heat 
without  fear." 

"I  believe  your  idea  will  save  our  lives,  sir;  ten 
minutes  ago  I  would  not  have  given  a  crown  for  our 
chances." 

They  at  once  crawled  out  upon  two  of  the  great  branches, 
and  a  renewed  chorus  of  snarls  from  below  showed  that 
their  foes  were  watchful.  The  snapping  of  the  small 
branches  excited  a  certain  amount  of  uneasiness  among 
them,  and  they  drew  off  a  short  distance.  In  ten  minutes 
Charlie  and  his  companion  worked  themselves  back  to  the 
main  trunk,  each  carrying  an  armful  of  twigs.  They  first 
cut  off  a  number  of  small  dry  chips  and  made  a  pile  of 
these  at  the  junction  of  one  of  the  branches  with  the  trunk. 
They  then  got  out  their  tinder-boxes  and  bunches  of  rags, 
shook  a  few  grains  of  powder  from  one  of  the  horns  among 
the  chips,  and  then  got  the  tinder  alight.  A  shred  of  rag 
that  had  been  rubbed  with  damp  powder  was  applied  to  the 
spark  and  then  placed  among  the  shavings;  a  flash  of  light 
sprang  up,  followed  by  a  steady  blaze,  as  the  dried  chips 
caught.  One  by  one  at  first,  and  then,  as  the  fire  gained 
strength,  several  sticks  at  a  time  were  laid  over  the  burning 
splinters,  and  in  five  minutes  a  large  fire  was  blazing. 
Charlie  and  his  companion  took  their  seats  where  the  other 
two  big  branches  shot  out  from  the  trunk,  these  were  two  or 


234  A  JACOBITE    EXILE 

three  feet  higher  than  that  on  which  the  fire  had  been 
lighted,  and  ere  long  a  sensation  of  genial  warmth  began  to 
steal  over  them.  Fresh  sticks  were  lighted  as  the  first  were 
consumed,  and  before  long  the  trunk  where  the  flames 
played  on  it  began  to  glow.  Light  tongues  of  flame  rose 
higher  and  higher,  until  the  trunk  was  alight  ten  or  twelve 
feet  up. 

"The  wolves  are  all  gone,"  Charlie  said,  looking  down. 

"I  don't  suppose  they  have  gone  very  far,  sir;  but  when 
the  tree  once  gets  fairly  alight,  you  may  be  sure  they  won't 
venture  anywhere  near  it." 

They  had  already  been  forced  to  move  some  little  dis- 
tance away  from  the  trunk  by  the  heat,  and  as  the  flames 
rose  higher  and  higher,  embracing  in  the  course  of  half  an 
hour  the  whole  of  the  trunk  and  upper  branches,  they  felt 
that  it  was  perfectly  safe  to  drop  off  into  the  snow  beneath 
them.  Blazing  brands  soon  began  to  fall.  They  stood  a 
short  distance  away  so  as  to  be  beyond  the  risk  of  accident, 
but  at  Charlie's  suggestion  they  ran  in  from  time  to  time, 
gathered  up  the  brands  and  laid  them  at  the  foot  of  the 
trunk,  and  in  a  short  time  a  second  fire  was  kindled  here. 
The  tree  was  now  a  pyramid  of  fire,  lighting  up  the  snow 
for  a  long  distance  round.  Outside  this  circle  the  wolves 
could  be  heard  whining  and  whimpering,  occasionally 
uttering  a  long-drawn  howl. 

"They  know  that  they  are  baulked  of  their  prey," 
Stanislas  said.  "  We  shall  have  some  of  the  big  branches 
falling  soon,  and  shall  be  able  to  keep  up  a  roaring  fire  that 
will  last  until  daylight.  I  should  think  by  that  time  the 
wolves  will  be  tired  of  it,  and  will  make  off;  but  if  not,  the 
captain  will  be  sure  to  send  men  out  to  search  for  us.  He 
will  guess  we  have  been  treed  by  wolves,  and  we  have  only 
to  get  into  another  tree  and  fire  our  pistols  to  bring  them 
in  this  direction." 


TREED   BY   WOLVES  235 

"But  they  may  be  attacked  too,"  Charlie  remarked. 

"  There  are  ten  of  them,  and  they  are  sure  to  come  armed 
with  axes  and  swords.  They  ought  to  be  able  to  fight  their 
way  through  a  good-sized  pack;  besides  the  wolves  will  be 
so  cowed  by  this  great  fire,  that  I  don't  think  they  will  have 
the  courage  to  meddle  with  so  strong  a  party." 

One  by  one  the  arms  of  the  tree  fell,  burnt  through  at  the 
point  where  they  touched  the  trunk.  They  would  have 
been  far  too  heavy  to  be  dragged,  but  three  or  four  of  them 
fell  across  the  lower  fire  and  there  lay  blazing.  Not  know- 
ing which  way  the  tree  itself  would  fall,  Charlie  and  his 
companion  were  obliged  to  remain  at  some  distance 
off,  but  the  heat  there  was  amply  sufficient  for  them.  At 
last  the  trunk  fell  with  a  crash,  and  they  at  once  estab- 
lished themselves  as  near  the  fire  as  they  could  sit  without 
being  scorched,  and  there  chatted  until  morning  began  to 
break. 

They  felt  sure  that  some  at  least  of  the  wolves  were 
around  them,  as  they  occasionally  caught  sight  of  what 
looked  like  two  sparks  among  the  undergrowth,  these  being 
as  they  knew  the  reflection  of  the  fire  in  the  eyes  of  a  wolf. 
There  was  a  tree  hard  by  in  which  they  could  if  necessary 
take  refuge,  and  they  therefore  resolved  to  stay  near  the  fire. 
Fortunately  the  night  had  been  perfectly  still,  and  as  the 
tree  they  had  fired  was  a  detached  one,  the  flames  had  not 
spread,  as  Charlie  had  at  one  time  been  afraid  they  would 
do.  Half  an  hour  after  daylight  had  fairly  broken  they 
discharged  three  shots  at  regular  intervals  with  their  pistols, 
then  they  waited  half  an  hour. 

"Shall  we  fire  again?" 

"No.  Not  until  we  hear  shots  from  them,"  Charlie 
replied.  "  We  have  but  four  charges  left,  and  if  the  wolves 
made  a  sudden  rush  we  might  want  to  use  them." 

After  a  time  both  thought  they  heard  the  distant  report  of 


236 


A   JACOBITE    EXILE 


a  musket.     Stanislas  looked  at  Charlie  inquiringly.     The 
latter  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  no !  Stanislas.  That  gun  would  be  heard  twice  as 
far  as  one  of  these  pistols,  let  us  wait  until  we  are  pretty 
sure  that  they  are  near.  I  don't  like  leaving  ourselves 
without  other  protection  than  our  axes." 


CHAPTER  XIII 


A    RESCUED   PARTY 


AFTER  a  considerable  pause  a  gun  was  again  fired,  this 
time  much  nearer  to  them.  Charlie  drew  out  his  pistol 
and  was  about  to  reply,  when  his  companion  touched  his 
arm. 

"Look!"  he  said. 

Charlie  turned  in  time  to  see  several  gray  forms  flit 
rapidly  between  the  bushes.  He  stepped  to  the  edge  of 
the  road,  and  saw  some  wolves  spring  out  through  the  bushes 
and  go  straight  along  the  road. 

"What  can  have  scared  them?"  he  asked  in  surprise; 
"the  gun  was  not  near  enough  for  that." 

"  No,  besides  they  would  have  fled  deeper  into  the  forest 
instead  of  taking  to  the  road.  Perhaps  they  hear  some- 
thing coming." 

Almost  at  the  same  moment  two  shots  were  heard  in  the 
direction  towards  which  the  wolves  were  making. 

"That  is  it!"  Charlie  exclaimed  excitedly.  "Another 
body  of  wolves  have  attacked  a  passing  traveller.  Heap 
the  wood  on,  Stanislas.  If  we  make  a  great  fire,  and  they 
get  as  far  as  this,  possibly  they  could  spring  off  and  take 
refuge  here.  At  any  rate  the  brands  will  be  better  weapons 
even  than  our  axes." 

The  ends  of  such  branches  as  they  were  able  to  move 

237 


238  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

were  brought  together,  and  a  few  blows  with  their  axes 
speedily  broke  off  several  of  the  outer  ends  of  charred 
wood.  These  were  thrown  on,  and  the  fire  soon  blazed 
up  high  again. 

Two  more   shots  were  heard,  this  time  close  at  hand. 

They  ran  into  the  road;  a  sledge  with  several  figures  in 
it  was  coming  along  at  full  speed.  It  was  almost  sur- 
rounded by  wolves,  and  as  they  looked  two  of  them  sprang 
at  the  horses'  heads;  but  two  shots  again  rung  out  and  they 
dropped  backwards  among  their  companions,  many  of 
whom  threw  themselves  at  once  upon  their  bodies,  while 
the  sledge  continued  on  its  headlong  course. 

"Here!  here!"  Charlie  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
waving  his  hands  to  show  the  direction  which  they  were 
to  take. 

A  moment  later  the  sledge  dashed  past  them  and  swept 
up  to  the  fire. 

"Seize  the  blazing  brands!"  Charlie  shouted  as  those 
in  the  sledge  threw  themselves  out. 

He  and  Stanislas  rolled  the  two  first  wolves  over  with 
their  pistols,  and  then  joined  the  others. 

The  driver  had  run  at  once  to  the  horses,  and  had 
mufided  them  by  throwing  his  coat  over  the  head  of  one 
and  a  rug  over  the  head  of  the  other,  and  though  snorting 
and  trembling  in  every  limb  they  stood  quiet  until  he  had 
thrown  a  head-rope  round  each  of  their  necks  and  fastened 
them  to  the  heaviest  of  the  branches.  Then  he  seized  a 
handful  of  fallen  leaves  which  were  exposed  by  the  melting 
of  the  snow  above  tliem  and  threw  them  into  the  fire, 
whence  a  dense  smoke  poured  out. 

The  wolves  had  again  stopped  to  devour  the  two  animals 
that  had  been  shot,  and  this  gave  time  to  the  men  by  their 
united  efforts  to  move  a  heavy  branch  and  place  it  across 
two  others  whose  ends  lay  in  the  fire,  so  as  to  form  with 
them  a  sort  of  triangular  breast-work,  the  face  of  which 


CHARLIE    AND    THE    TRAVELLERS    ARE    SURROUNDED    BY    WOLVES. 


A    RESCUED   PARTY  239 

next  to  them  was  manned  by  the  two  travellers,  their  ser- 
vants, Charlie,  and  Stanislas,  with  blazing  brands. 

Charlie  and  his  companion  hastily  loaded  their  pistols 
again.  The  two  gentlemen  had  each  rifles  and  a  brace  of 
pistols,  as  had  their  sen-ants.  A  lady  and  child  had  been 
lifted  from  the  sledge,  and  these  crouched  down  at  the 
angle  by  the  fire.  The  sledge  and  the  two  horses  pro- 
tected one  of  the  faces  of  the  position,  and  the  driver  at 
his  master's  orders  took  his  position  on  the  front  seat 
again,  so  as  to  shoot  down  any  wolf  that  might  try  to  attack 
the  flank  of  the  outside  horse. 

The  wolves  looked  doubtful  at  the  appearance  of  the 
dense  smoke  rising  up,  but  after  a  little  hesitation  they 
rushed  to  the  attack.  Four  were  rolled  over  by  bullets 
from  the  rifles,  and  as  they  came  within  a  few  yards  the 
pistols  cracked  out  in  rapid  succession.  As  soon  as  these 
were  all  emptied  the  six  men  caught  up  the  blazing  brands, 
and  struck  full  in  the  faces  of  the  wolves,  shouting  loudly 
as  they  did  so.  Seized  with  a  momentary  panic,  the  ani- 
mals turned  and  fled,  and  then  a  fierce  fight  took  place 
between  the  injured  wolves  and  their  companions.  There 
was  but  just  time  to  recharge  the  rifles  and  pistols  when 
they  came  on  again.  Although  the  fire  of  the  defenders 
was  as  deadly  as  before,  the  wolves  seemed  this  time  de- 
termined to  get  at  their  victims.  In  vain  were  blows 
showered  on  their  heads,  while  those  who  first  sprang  on 
the  tree  were  stabbed  with  the  knives  the  defenders  held  in 
their  left  hands. 

The  contest  could  have  had  but  one  termination,  when 
suddenly  two  shots  were  heard,  and  then  with  loud  shouts 
a  party  of  men  burst  through  the  forest,  and  with  pistol 
and  axe  fell  on  the  wolves.  This  unexpected  onslaught 
had  a  decisive  effect,  and  with  loud  howls  and  yelps  the 
wolves  turned  and  fled. 

Up  to  this  time  not  a  word  had  been  exchanged  by  the 


240  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

defenders  beyond  Charlie's  first  shout  of  ''Lay  this  branch 
across  those  two,"  and  the  order  of  one  of  the  gentlemen 
to  the  coachman  to  take  his  place  in  the  sledge,  where  he 
had  done  his  work  well,  for  four  wolves  lay  dead  by  the 
flank  of  the  outside  horse.  Several  of  those  that  had 
sprung  at  the  heads  of  the  horses  had  been  shot  or  cut 
down  by  the  master,  who  had  placed  himself  close  to  them, 
and  the  horses'  thick  mufiflings  had  saved  them  from  any 
serious  injury. 

As  soon  as  the  wolves  fled  the  gentleman  turned  to 
Charlie,  and  flinging  down  his  weapons  threw  his  arms 
round  his  neck. 

"You  have  preserved  us  from  death,  sir.  You  have 
saved  my  wife  and  child  from  being  torn  to  pieces.  How 
can  I  express  my  thanks  to  you?" 

"It  was  fortunate  that  we  happened  to  be  here,"  Charlie 
said,  "and  that  we  had  this  fire  handy." 

A  cry  from  the  child  called  off  the  gentleman's  attention, 
and  he  ran  to  his  wife,  who  had  sunk  fainting  on  the 
ground;  and  Charlie,  not  a  little  pleased  at  this  diversion, 
turned  to  Ladislas  and  his  men,  who  were  looking  on  with 
the  most  intense  astonishment  at  the  scene.  Charlie  leapt 
over  the  branch  and  grasped  Ladislas  by  the  hand. 

"You  have  arrived  at  the  nick  of  time,  Ladislas.  An- 
other three  minutes  and  it  would  have  been  all  over  with 

us." 

"Yes,  I  could  see  it  was  a  close  thing  as  soon  as  I  caught 
•sight  of  you.  We  have  been  wondering  all  night  what  be- 
came of  you,  and  set  out  as  soon  as  it  was  light.  We  fired 
a  shot  occasionally,  but  we  listened  in  vain  for  your  three 

shots." 

"We  fired  them  half  an  hour  after  daylight,"  Charlie 
said;  "but  as  we  had  then  only  five  charges  left  between 
us,  and  there  were  wolves  all  round,  we  dared  not  waste 
them." 


A   RESCUED   PARTY  241 

"We  heard  firing  at  last,"  the  captain  went  on.  "First 
two  shots  faintly,  then  two  nearer,  and  a  minute  later  two 
others.  We  knew  then  that  you  must  be  engaged  with 
wolves,  and  we  were  running  as  hard  as  we  could  in  the 
direction  of  the  shots  when  we  heard  a  number  fired  close 
together.  Of  course  we  could  make  nothing  of  it,  but  on 
we  ran.  Then  there  was  another  outbreak  of  firing,  this 
time  quite  close.  A  moment  later  we  caught  sight  of  a 
confused  mass.  There  was  a  fire  and  a  sledge  with  two 
horses,  and  a  man  standing  up  in  it  shooting;  and  we 
could  see  a  desperate  fight  going  on  with  the  wolves  in 
front,  so  Alexander  and  Hugo  fired  their  pieces  into  the 
thick  of  them.  We  set  up  a  yell  and  went  at  them  with 
our  axes,  yet  I  did  not  feel  by  any  means  sure  that  they 
would  not  be  too  many  for  us.  But  what  on  earth  does 
it  all  mean  ?  and  how  is  it  that  you  have  lived  through  the 
night?  We  had  no  expectation  of  finding  you  alive. 
However,  that  fire  tells  its  own  tale,  as  though  nothing 
less  than  burning  up  a  big  tree  would  content  you." 

"  I  will  tell  you  all  presently.  It  is  too  long  a  story  now. 
Let  us  help  these  travellers  to  go  their  way  before  the  wolves 
rally  again." 

"They  will  not  do  that,"  the  captain  said  confidently; 
"  if  it  was  night  they  might  hang  about  the  neighbourhood, 
but  they  are  cowardly  beasts  in  the  daytime,  and  easily 
scared.  They  are  still  going  away  at  their  best  pace,  I  will 
be  bound." 

While  Charlie  was  speaking  to  Ladislas  one  of  the  trav- 
ellers had  been  talking  to  Stanislas,  who  in  answer  to  his 
question  had  informed  him  that  he  was  in  Charlie's  service, 
and  that  the  latter  was  an  English  gentleman,  who  had  from 
a  variety  of  circumstances,  especially  the  suspicion  with 
which  all  strangers  were  regarded,  been  unable  to  travel 
through  the  country,  and  had  therefore  been  passing  the 
winter  hunting  with  this  company  of  disbanded  soldiers 


242  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

who  had  so  opportunely  arrived  to  their  assistance.  The 
other  traveller  had  by  this  time  carried  his  wife  beyond  the 
heat  of  the  fire,  and  had  applied  some  snow  to  her  forehead, 
pouring  a  little  brandy  from  the  flask  between  her  lips. 
She  had  now  begun  to  revive,  and  leaving  her  he  approached 
the  party.  His  brother  met  him,  and  in  a  few  words  told 
him  what  he  had  learned  from  Stanislas. 

"My  friends,"  he  said,  "my  brother  tells  me  that  you 
are  a  party  of  discharged  soldiers  who  are  passing  the 
winter  in  a  hut  here  in  the  forest,  supporting  yourselves  by 
shooting  and  fishing.  I  have  to  thank  Providence  for  the 
thought  that  sent  you  here.  I  have  to  thank. you  for  your 
prompt  assistance,  to  which  we  are  indebted  for  our  lives. 
I  am  Count  Nicholas  Staroski,  and  can  at  least  make  a  sub- 
stantial return  for  the  service  you  have  done  me.  My 
estates  lie  some  sixty  miles  to  the  north.  You  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  finding  me.  Present  yourselves  there  at 
Easter,  I  shall  certainly  be  at  my  chateau  then.  I  will  then 
talk  over  what  can  be  done  for  you.  Those  who  like  to 
settle  down  on  land  shall  have  land,  those  who  would  like 
employment  in  my  household  shall  have  it,  those  who  would 
prefer  money  to  go  their  own  way  and  settle  in  their  own 
villages  shall  each  have  a  heavy  purse."  Then  he  turned  to 
Charlie.  "You,  sir,  as  my  brother  has  learned  from  your 
brave  follower  here,  are  an  English  gentleman.  To  you  I 
owe  far  heavier  obligation  than  to  these  soldiers,  for  you 
and  your  man  incurred  a  terrible  risk,  and  well-nigh  sacri- 
ficed your  lives  for  ours.  I  pray  you  come  with  us  and  stay 
with  us  for  a  time.  I  shall  then  hear  your  plans  and  your 
object  in  visiting  this  country,  and  if  I  can  in  any  way 
further  them  you  may  be  sure  I  will  do  so  to  the  utmost; 
for  the  present  I  can  promise  you  at  least  excellent  hunting 
and  the  heartiest  welcome." 

"I  thank  you  very  heartily.  Count  Staroski,  and  accept 
gladly  your  invitation;  but  I  must  first  speak  to  the  captain 


A   RESCUED    PARTY  243 

of  these  men,  to  whom  I  am  much  beholden  for  the  kind- 
ness he  has  shown  me." 

He  went  across  to  Ladislas,  who  had  heard  what  was 
said. 

"You  will  not  think  it  ungrateful  for  me  to  quit  you  so 
suddenly,  Ladislas,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"Assuredly  not.  You  have  done  us  a  service  indeed  in 
thus  enabling  us  to  obtain  favour  with  the  count.  He  is 
one  of  our  richest  and  most  powerful  nobles,  and  our  for- 
tunes are  as  good  as  made." 

"I  will  introduce  you  to  him  personally,"  Charlie  said. 
"This,  count,  is  the  leader  of  the  party.  He  has  shown  me 
very  great  kindness,  and  has  proved  a  true  friend.  From 
what  I  have  seen  of  him  I  have  no  doubt  whatever  that,  in 
spite  of  certain  acts  of  lawlessness  to  which  he  and  his 
friends  have  been  driven  of  late,  you  will  find  him,  in  any 
position  you  may  be  good  enough  to  give  him,  an  honest 
and  thoroughly  trustworthy  man." 

"I  will  bear  it  in  mind,"  the  count  said.  "Now  the 
sooner  we  are  off  the  better.  How  far  is  it  to  the  next 
village?  " 

"About  seven  miles,  count." 

The  count  gave  orders  for  the  sledge  to  be  taken  on  to 
the  road  again. 

"One  moment,"  the  captain  said,  taking  Charlie  aside. 
"Pray  tell  us  in  a  few  words  what  has  happened.  The 
burning  of  the  tree  is  a  mystery  to  us,  and  we  shall  die  of 
curiosity  if  we  have  to  remain  here  for  another  two  months 
with  the  matter  unexplained." 

In  as  few  words  as  possible  Charlie  related  to  the  men 
the  story  of  the  preceding  night,  which  was  greeted  with 
exclamations  of  surprise  and  admiration. 

"Truly  you  have  your  wits  about  you,"  the  captain  said. 
"I  should  have  been  frozen  to  death  if  I  had  been  in  your 
position,  for  I  should  certainly  never  have  thought  of  lighting 


244  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

a  fire  up  in  a  tree.  Well,  good-bye,  if  we  do  not  see  you 
again  may  all  good  fortune  attend  you,  and  may  the  saints 
protect  you  from  all  danger." 

Charlie  shook  hands  with  the  men  all  round,  and  then 
hurried  down  to  the  sledge.  The  coachman  was  already 
in  the  front  seat,  the  countess  and  her  child  had  taken  their 
places,  and  the  two  armed  servants  and  Stanislas  were  stand- 
ing behind  in  readiness  to  jump  on  to  a  board  fastened 
above  the  runners. 

"I  must  apologize  for  keeping  you  waiting,  countess," 
Charlie  said  as  he  ran  up.  ^*  I  had  to  explain  to  my  friends 
in  a  few  words  how  this  had  all  come  about." 

"We  are  also  longing  to  know,"  the  count  said.  "But  I 
have  not  yet  introduced  you  to  my  wife,  nor  have  I  learned 
the  name  of  the  gentleman  to  whom  I  owe  so  much." 

"Ah,  sir,"  the  young  countess  said,  holding  out  her  hand 
after  Charlie  had  given  his  name,  "what  do  we  not  owe 
you?     I  shall  never  forget  it  all,  never." 

"We  will  talk  when  we  have  started,  Feodora;  let  us  get 
out  of  this  forest  as  soon  as  we  can." 

He  took  his  place  beside  his  wife,  and  set  the  child  on 
his  knees;  his  brother  and  Charlie  sitting  opposite  to  him. 
The  servants  spread  a  bear-skin  rug  over  their  knees,  and 
then  jumped  into  their  places  as  the  driver  cracked  his 
whip,  and  the  horses  started. 

"You  must  think  us  almost  mad  to  be  driving  through 
the  forest  at  this  time  of  the  year,"  the  count  said  to 
Charlie.  "But  the  countess  is  a  Russian,  we  have  been 
staying  two  months  at  her  father's  place  a  hundred  miles  to 
the  east;  my  two  youngest  children  are  at  home,  and  two 
days  since  a  message  arrived  saying  that  one  of  them  was 
dangerously  ill.  We  had  heard,  of  course,  many  tales  of 
the  numbers  and  fierceness  of  the  wolves,  but  we  hoped  that 
by  travelling  only  by  day  and  with  excellent  horses  there 
was  not  much  to  fear,  especially  as  we  were  five  armed  men. 


A   RESCUED   PARTY  245 

We  fell  in  with  a  few  wolves  yesterday,  but  beat  them  off 
easily  enough.  Last  night  we  stopped  at  a  little  village  in 
the  forest.  They  certainly  made  me  feel  uneasy  there  with 
their  tales  about  the  wolves,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it. 
We  started  as  soon  as  day  broke,  and  had  driven  some 
fifteen  miles  before  we  came  up  to  you.  We  had  not  gone 
five  when  the  wolves  began  to  show  themselves. 

"At  first  they  kept  well  behind  us,  but  presently  we  came 
upon  a  large  number,  who  joined  in  near  where  we  saw  an 
overturned  sledge  with  the  snow  stained  with  blood  all 
round  it.  From  there  we  kept  up  a  running  fight,  and  must 
have  killed  a  score;  but  their  numbers  increased  rather  than 
diminished,  and  when  a  fresh  pack  came  up  from  ahead,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  before  we  saw  you,  it  looked  as  if  our 
case  was  hopeless;  for  the  horses,  which  had  been  going  at 
the  top  of  their  speed  from  the  time  we  started,  were  begin- 
ning to  flag,  while  the  wolves  were  fast  closing  in  upon  us, 
and  were  just  beginning  to  attack  the  horses  when  I  saw 
you  in  the  road.  And  now,  pray  tell  us  how  you  came  to 
be  there  so  opportunely,  and  how  it  was  that  you  had  that 
great  fire  blazing." 

Charlie  gave  the  full  history  of  the  previous  night's 
adventure. 

"  Wonderful !  "  the  count  and  his  brother  exclaimed;  and 
the  former  went  on :  "I  have  heard  many  stories  of  escapes 
from  wolves,  but  never  one  like  yours.  It  was  an  admirable 
thought,  indeed,  that  of  at  once  obtaining  heat  and  fright- 
ening the  wolves  away  by  setting  the  tree  on  fire.  That 
thought  saved  our  lives  as  well  as  your  own,  for  our  fate 
would  have  been  the  same  as  those  unfortunate  travellers 
whose  horses  you  saw,  and  who  brought  the  wolves  upon 
you.  And  now,  sir,  would  it  be  impertinent  to  ask  for  what 
purpose  you  have  come  to  Poland?  Believe  me,  I  only  put 
the  question  in  order  to  see  if  I  can  in  any  way  be  of  assist- 
ance to  you." 


246  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

"I  do  not  know,  count,  whether  my  avowal  will  affect 
you  unfavourably,  but  I  know  that  it  will  make  no  difference 
in  your  conduct  towards  me.  I  am,  as  my  servant  told  you, 
an  Englishman  by  birth;  but  I  and  my  father  were  obliged, 
in  consequence  of  political  opinions,  to  leave  the  country, 
and  I  am  now  a  captain  in  the  service  of  Charles  of 
Sweden."    Exclamations  of  surprise  broke  from  his  hearers. 

"Well,  sir,"  the  count  said  smiling,  "as  his  majesty  King 
Charles,  although  not  yet  one-and-twenty,  is  one  of  the 
greatest  generals  in  Europe,  I  cannot  consider  it  strange 
that  you,  who  appear  to  me  to  be  no  older,  should  be  a 
captain  in  his  service.  But  I  own  that  I  pictured  to  myself 
that  the  officers  of  these  wonderful  soldiers  were  fierce- 
looking  men,  regular  iron  veterans." 

"I  am  but  eighteen,"  Charlie  said,  "and  I  myself  feel  it 
absurd  that  I  should  be  a  captain.  It  is  but  two  years  since 
I  was  appointed  an  ensign,  and  the  king  happening  to  be 
with  my  company  when  we  had  a  sharp  fight  with  the  Rus- 
sians, he  rewarded  us  by  having  us  made  into  a  regiment; 
so  each  of  us  got  promotion.  I  was  appointed  captain  last 
May,  as  a  reward  for  a  suggestion  that  turned  out  useful." 

"  May  I  ask  what  it  was.  Captain  Carstairs,  for  it  seems 
to  me  that  you  are  full  of  happy  ideas?  " 

"King  Charles,  as  you  may  have  heard,  speaks  freely  to 
officers  and  soldiers  as  he  moves  about  the  camp.  I  was 
standing  on  the  edge  of  the  river,  looking  across  at  the 
Saxons,  on  the  day  before  we  made  the  passage,  when  the 
king  came  up  and  spoke  to  me.  He  said  there  was  no 
hope  of  our  passage  being  covered, — as  our  advance  against 
the  Russians  at  Narva  had  been, — by  a  snowstorm;  and  I 
said  that  as  the  wind  was  at  our  backs,  if  we  were  to  set  fire 
to  the  great  straw-stacks  the  smoke  would  hide  our  move- 
ments from  the  Saxons.  The  idea  was  a  very  simple  one, 
and  would  no  doubt  have  occurred  to  the  king  himself; 
however,  he  put  it  into  execution  with  success,  and  was 


A   RESCUED    PARTY  247 

good  enough  afterwards  to  promote  me  to  the  rank  of 
captain." 

"So  it  was  owing  to  you  that  our  army — or  rather  the 
Saxon  army,  for  but  few  Poles  were  engaged  in  the  battle 
— was  defeated,"  the  count  said  smiling.  "Well,  sir,  it 
will  do  you  no  harm  with  us,  for  personally  we  are  entirely 
opposed  to  Augustus  of  Saxony.  But  you  have  not  yet 
explained  how  you,  an  ofificer  in  the  Swedish  service,  came 
to  be  here." 

"  I  was  sent  by  King  Charles  to  Warsaw  to  ascertain  the 
feeling  of  the  trading  classes  there.  I  had  an  introduction 
to  a  Scottish  merchant,  and  I  passed  as  a  countryman  of 
his,  who  had  come  out  to  enter  his  business.  One  of  the 
objects  of  my  mission  was  to  endeavour  to  induce  the 
foreign  merchants  in  Warsaw  to  do  what  they  could  to 
promote  a  feeling  in  favour  of  peace  with  the  Swedes,  and 
the  substitution  of  another  king  in  place  of  Augustus." 

"  It  is  not  very  clear.  Captain  Carstairs,  how  you  can  be 
fulfilling  that  object  by  passing  your  winter  with  a  party  of 
robbers — for  I  suppose  your  disbanded  soldiers  were  little 
better — in  a  forest  on  the  confines  of  Russia." 

Charlie  laughed.  "  It  is  rather  a  long  story,  count. 
Perhaps  you  will  kindly  tell  me  the  news  about  public 
affairs  first." 

"By  no  means,"  the  count  said.  "That  is  a  long  story 
too,  and  my  wife  would  much  rather  hear  yours  than  listen 
to  it;  she  has  not  yet  recovered  from  the  events  of  this 
morning.  But  we  will  wait  until  we  are  at  the  village;  we 
have  left  the  forest  behind  us,  and  another  half  hour  will 
take  us  to  Stromoff,  where  we  can  get  pretty  good  accommo- 
dation." 

The  horses,  a  splendid  pair  of  animals,  had  during  their 
passage  through  the  forest  shown  every  sign  of  fear,  starting 
nervously,  swerving,  and  going  in  sharp,  sudden  rushes,  and 
always  needing  a  constant  strain  on  the  reins  to  keep  them 


248  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

from  bolting.  Once  away  from  the  trees,  however,  they 
settled  down  into  a  fast  trot,  and  the  seven  miles  to  Stromoff 
were  done  in  less  than  half  an  hour.  No  sooner  did  the 
landlord  of  the  inn  learn  the  name  of  his  guest,  than  he,  his 
wife,  and  sons  bustled  about  in  the  greatest  haste  to  make 
things  comfortable  for  them.  Huge  fires  were  lighted  in 
the  guest  rooms,  and  the  common  room  was  cleared  of  the 
other  customers  until  the  chamber  should  be  sufficiently 
warmed  for  occupation;  while  in  the  kitchen  preparations 
were  made  for  a  meal,  to  which,  in  half  an  hour  from  their 
arrival,  the  party  in  the  sledge  sat  down.  When  this  was 
over,  settles  were  placed  round  the  fire,  and  Charlie  then 
gave  a  full  account  of  his  adventures  from  the  time  he  was 
attacked  in  the  streets  of  Warsaw. 

"  So  it  was  you.  Captain  Carstairs,  after  whom  there  was 
so  keen  a  search  in  September.  The  death  of  Ben  Solo- 
man  made  a  great  stir,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  there  are 
a  great  many  people  who  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude.  The 
man  had  no  sons,  and  all  his  property  passed  to  his  widow, 
whom  he  had,  it  seems,  treated  harshly  during  his  lifetime. 
She  was  from  Holland,  and  wished  to  return  to  her  people, 
so  as  his  means  were  very  large  she  made  the  easiest  terms 
with  all  those  on  whose  estates  her  husband  had  held  mort- 
gages, in  order  to  wind  up  her  affairs  as  soon  as  possible; 
thus  his  death  was  the  subject  of  wide  rejoicings.  How- 
ever, if  you  had  been  caught  at  the  time,  I  fear  it  would 
have  gone  hard  with  you;  for  the  Jews  were  all  very  keen 
about  it — as  the  man,  rascal  though  he  was,  was  one  of  the 
chief  heads  of  their  religion, — and  were  you  to  fall  into 
their  hands  in  any  of  the  towns  they  would  either  kill  you 
or  send  you  to  Warsaw." 

"And  now,  sir,  will  you  tell  me  what  has  taken  place 
since  September?  " 

"  Things  have  moved  slowly.  Augustus  endeavoured  after 
his  defeat  on  the  Dwina  to  make  peace  with  Charles  on 


A   RESCUED    PARTY  249 

his  own  account,  and  without  the  knowledge  of  the  diet; 
but  Charles  refused  to  give  audience  to  any  of  his  agents, 
and  would  not  even  see  the  beautiful  Countess  of  Konigs- 
mark,  who  is,  you  know,  herself  a  Swede,  and  whom  Augus- 
tus sent,  thinking  that  her  blandishments  might  win  over 
the  young  king.  It  was  useless.  Charles  maintained  the 
ground  that  he  took  up  from  the  first — namely,  that  he 
would  treat  with  the  diet,  but  would  have  nothing  what- 
ever to  say  to  Augustus.  So  the  diet  sent  an  embassy  of 
four  senators.  Instead  of  receiving  them  with  every  pomp 
and  ceremony,  as  they  expected,  the  king  met  them  on 
horseback.  He  demanded  that,  as  a  first  condition,  they 
should  dethrone  Augustus.  Parties  in  the  diet  were  pretty 
equally  divided;  but  the  proposal  was  rejected,  for  even 
those  most  hostile  to  Augustus  resented  the  proposal  that 
we,  a  free  and  unconquered  people,  should  be  ordered  by 
a  foreign  prince  to  change  our  king.  So  nothing  came 
of  it. 

"The  Swedish  army  advanced  a  certain  distance  into 
Poland,  and  there  were  a  great  number  of  skirmishes,  but 
there  has  been  no  serious  fighting,  nor  is  there  much 
chance  of  any  until  the  snow  has  gone  and  the  country 
dried  up  in  the  spring.  At  present  Augustus  is  quarrelling 
with  the  diet,  who  still  set  themselves  against  the  importa- 
tion of  more  Saxon  troops.  But  doubtless  before  the 
campaign  begins  in  earnest  he  will  have  settled  matters 
with  the  senators,  and  will  have  his  own  way  in  that 
respect.  There  is,  however,  little  chance  of  the  diet 
agreeing  to  call  out  the  whole  forces  of  the  country,  and 
the  next  battle  will,  like  the  last,  be  between  the  Swedes 
and  the  Saxons,  who  may  have  with  them  perhaps  a  few 
thousand  Poles  belonging  to  the  king's  party." 
"You  don't  belong  to  the  king's  party,  count?" 
"No;  I,  like  the  majority  of  our  nobles,  have  no  inter- 
est whatever  in  the  war,  for  we  were  never  consulted  before 


250  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

it  began.  It  is  an  affair  between  Saxony  and  the  Swedes; 
let  them  fight  it  out.  It  would  be  a  bad  day  for  Poland  if 
Augustus  and  the  Russians  were  to  overcome  and  despoil 
Sweden.  We  want  no  addition  of  territory,  for  that  would 
be  to  strengthen  our  kings  against  us.  We  see  the  trouble 
caused  by  Augustus  having  Saxony  at  his  command,  and 
if  he  had  other  territory  the  country  would  be  divided  into 
two  parts,  one  of  which  would  have  nothing  in  common 
with  the  other.  Still  less  do  we  wish  to  see  Russia  gain 
territory  to  the  north  of  us.  Hitherto  we  have  thought 
but  little  of  the  Muscovites,  but  this  war  has  shown  that 
they  can  put  great  armies  into  the  field,  and  the  czar  is 
making  them  into  a  nation  which  may  some  day  be  for- 
midable to  us. 

"  Charles  has  sent  every  assurance  that  he  has  no  ill-will 
towards  Poland,  and  is  an  enemy  not  of  the  country  but 
of  its  king, — who  had  formed  a  coalition  against  him  in  a 
time  of  profound  peace, — and  that  his  hostility  will  alto- 
gether cease  with  the  overthrow  and  expulsion  of  Augustus. 
So  you  see  we  who  live  at  a  distance  from  the  capital,  and 
hold  ourselves  altogether  aloof  from  the  intrigues  of  court, 
look  on  at  the  fray  as  if  it  were  one  in  which  we  have  no 
part  or  lot.  If  Augustus  drives  out  the  Swedes,  we  shall 
probably  have  trouble  with  him  afterwards.  If  Charles 
drives  out  Augustus  we  shall  have  a  fresh  king,  and  shall 
no  doubt  choose  one  upon  the  recommendation  of  Charles, 
who  will  then  march  away  again,  leaving  us  to  manage 
our  own  affairs.  Therefore,  we  have  no  animosity  what- 
ever against  you  as  a  Swedish  officer,  but  for  comfort's  sake 
it  is  better  that  nothing  should  be  said  of  this,  and  that  I 
should  introduce  you  to  my  friends  simply  as  an  English 
gentleman  who  has  rendered  me  the  greatest  possible  ser- 
vice." 

The  countess  retired  to  bed  a  short  time  after  they  had 
finished  their  meal,  and  the  others  sat  up  talking  until  late 


A   RESCUED   PARTY  251 

in  the  evening.  Charlie  learnt  that  the  country  was  still 
in  a  greatly  disturbed  state.  Parties  of  disbanded  soldiers 
and  others,  rendered  desperate  by  cold  and  hardship,  were 
everpvhere  plundering  the  peasantry,  and  many  encoun- 
ters had  taken  place  between  them  and  the  nobles,  who 
with  their  retainers  had  marched  against  them.  Travel 
would  be  dangerous  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

"  Therefore,  until  the  spring  you  must  not  think  of  mov- 
ing," the  count  said;  "indeed,  I  think  that  your  best  plan 
when  you  start  will  be  to  work  due  north  and  join  the 
Swedish  forces  near  Nar\'a.  It  will  be  shorter  as  well  as 
less  dangerous.     Still  we  can  talk  of  that  later  on." 

The  next  morning  they  started  early,  and  arrived  in  the 
afternoon  at  the  chateau  of  the  count.  It  was  not  a  forti- 
fied building,  for  the  Poles  differed  from  the  western 
nations,  abstaining  from  fortifying  their  towns  and  resi- 
dences, upon  the  ground  that  they  were  a  free  people  capa- 
ble of  defending  their  country  from  foreign  invasion,  and 
therefore  requiring  no  fortified  towns,  and  that  such  places 
added  to  the  risks  of  civil  war,  and  enabled  factions  to 
set  the  will  of  the  nation  at  defiance.  The  building  was  a 
large  one,  but  it  struck  Charlie  as  being  singularly  plain 
and  barn-like  in  comparison  with  the  residences  of  countr}' 
gentlemen  in  England.  A  number  of  retainers  ran  out  as 
they  drove  up  into  the  courtyard,  and  exclamations  of  sur- 
prise and  dismay  rose  as  the  wounds  on  the  horses'  flanks 
and  legs  were  visible;  and  when,  in  a  few  words,  the 
count  told  them  that  they  had  been  attacked  by  wolves, 
and  had  been  saved  principally  by  the  English  gentleman 
and  his  follower,  the  men  crowded  round  Charlie,  kissed 
his  hands,  and  in  other  ways  tried  to  show  their  gratitude 
for  his  rescue  of  their  master  and  mistress. 

"Come  along,"  the  count  said,  taking  his  arm  and  lead- 
ing him  into  the  house.  "The  poor  fellows  mean  well, 
and  you  must  not  be  vexed  with  them." 


252  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

The  countess's  first  question  had  been  for  her  child,  and 
with  an  exclamation  of  thankfulness  when  she  heard  that  it 
was  better,  she  had  at  once  hurried  into  the  house.  As 
soon  as  they  had  entered  the  count  left  Charlie  in  charge 
of  his  brother,  and  also  hurried  away.  He  was  not  long 
before  he  returned. 

"The  child  is  doing  well,"  he  said,  "and  now  that  it  has 
got  its  mother  again,  it  will,  I  think,  improve  rapidly. 
The  doctor  said  this  morning  that  he  considered  it  out  of 
danger,  but  that  it  needed  its  mother  sorely  to  cheer  and 
pet  it." 

In  a  very  short  time  the  tables  were  laid.  The  count, 
his  brother,  and  Charlie  sat  at  an  upper  table,  and  the  hall 
was  filled  with  the  various  officers  and  retainers.  The 
count's  arrival  was  expected,  for  a  horseman  had  been  sent 
forward  on  their  arrival  at  the  inn  the  evening  before. 
The  dinner  had  therefore  been  cooked  in  readiness,  and 
Charlie  was  astonished  at  the  profusion  with  which  it  was 
served.  Fish,  joints,  great  pies,  and  game  of  many  kinds, 
were  placed  on  the  table  in  unlimited  quantities,  the  drink 
being  a  species  of  beer,  although  excellent  wine  was  served 
at  the  high  table.  He  could  now  understand  how  often 
the  Polish  nobles  impoverished  themselves  by  their  un- 
bounded hospitality  and  love  of  display. 

"I  suppose  for  to-morrow  you  will  like  to  remain  quiet," 
the  count  said,  "  but  after  that  we  will  try  to  amuse  you. 
There  is  game  of  all  sorts  to  be  shot,  or  if  you  have  had 
enough  sport  lately  there  will  be  a  sledge  and  horses  at 
your  disposal  whenever  you  choose  to  ride  or  drive,  and  in 
a  few  days  we  will  give  an  entertainment  in  honour  at 
once  of  our  return,  your  visit,  and  the  child's  restoration 
to  health.  Then  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
our  national  dances." 

Charlie  had  had  enough  shooting,  but  he  greatly  enjoyed 
the  drives  in  the  sledges  behind  the  spirited  horses.     The 


A   RESCUED   PARTY  253 

entertainment  came  off  a  fortnight  after  his  arrival  at  the 
chateau.  The  guests  for  the  most  part  arrived  early  in 
the  afternoon,  many  having  driven  in  from  great  distances. 
The  preparations  had  been  on  an  immense  scale,  and  the 
scene  at  night  was  a  brilliant  one.  Never  had  Charlie  seen 
anything  like  the  magnificence  of  the  dresses,  not  of  the 
ladies  only  but  also  of  the  gentlemen;  the  Poles  having  the 
true  oriental  love  for  rich  costumes,  a  taste  that  their 
national  dress  permitted  them  to  gratify  to  the  utmost. 
Next  to  the  splendour  of  the  dresses  Charlie  was  surprised 
at  the  grace  and  spirit  of  the  dancing,  which  was  far  more 
vivacious  than  that  of  western  nations.  The  Poles  were 
long  considered  to  be  the  best  dancers  in  the  world.  It  was 
their  great  national  amusement;  and  all  danced,  from  noble 
to  peasant,  entering  into  it  with  spirit  and  enthusiasm,  and 
uniting  the  perfection  of  rhythmical  motion  with  the  grace 
and  ease  peculiar  to  them  and  to  their  kinsmen  the 
Hungarians. 

The  dancing  was  kept  up  with  unflagging  energy  during 
the  whole  night,  and  then  after  a  substantial  breakfast  the 
men  and  women  were  muffled  up  in  furs,  and  took  their 
places  in  the  sledges. 

The  count  would  gladly  have  had  Charlie  remain  with 
him  until  spring  began,  but  he  was  anxious  to  rejoin  the 
army;  and  seeing  that  this  was  so,  the  count  did  everything 
in  his  power  to  facilitate  his  journey,  which,  after  talking 
it  over,  had  been  decided  should  be  direct  towards  the 
royal  camp.  The  count's  brother  insisted  upon  accom- 
panying him  on  the  journey,  as  in  this  way  many  of  the 
difficulties  would  be  avoided.  Two  sledges  were  prepared, 
the  one  for  the  use  of  Charlie  and  Count  John,  and  the 
other  for  the  two  servants  and  baggage.  Both  were  horsed 
by  the  fastest  animals  in  the  count's  stables. 

Charlie  himself  had  been  loaded  with  presents,  which  he 
had  been  obliged  somewhat  reluctantly  to  accept,  as  he  saw 


254  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

that  a  refusal  would  hurt  and  mortify  his  kind  hosts.  He 
had,  on  his  arrival,  been  provided  with  an  ample  wardrobe 
of  clothes  of  all  kinds,  and  to  these  were  now  added  dol- 
mans, cloaks,  rugs,  and  most  costly  furs;  a  splendid  gun, 
pistols,  and  a  sword,  with  the  hilt  studded  with  gems,  com- 
pleted his  outfit;  while  Stanislas  had  been  presented  with  a 
heavy  purse  of  money.  The  whole  of  the  retainers  of  the 
castle  were  assembled  to  see  them  start,  and  the  count  and 
countess  at  parting  made  him  promise  to  come  and  pay 
them  another  visit  if  the  fortune  of  war  should  bring  him 
within  the  possibility  of  reaching  them. 

The  journey  was  a  delightful  one.  Each  night  they  put 
up  at  the  chateau  of  some  nobleman.  To  many  of  these 
Count  John  Staroski  was  personally  known;  at  the  others 
his  name  secured  at  once  a  hearty  welcome  for  himself  and 
his  companion.  Travelling  only  by  day,  and  at  the  full 
speed  of  the  horses,  they  escaped  interruption  by  the 
marauding  bands,  and  in  fourteen  days  after  starting  they 
drove  into  the  town  where  Charles  of  Sweden  had  his  head- 
quarters, after  being  twice  stopped  and  questioned  by  bodies 
of  Swedish  horse.  The  town  was  crowded  with  troops,  and 
they  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  a  lodging  for  themselves 
and  stabling  for  the  horses.  As  soon  as  this  was  done 
Charlie  proceeded  alone  to  the  quarters  of  Count  Piper. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW 

/^HARLIE  sent  in  his  name,  and  was  shown  in  at  once. 
^  "I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you,  Captain  Carstairs,"  the 
minister  said  as  he  entered;  "we  had  given  you  up  for  lost. 
We  heard  first  that  you  had  been  murdered  in  the  streets  of 
Warsaw.  A  month  later  a  man  brought  a  letter  to  me  from 
your  Scotch  friend  Ramsay,  to  say  that  you  were  accused  of 
the  murder  of  a  Jew  trader,  a  man,  it  seems,  of  some 
importance  in  Warsaw.  Ramsay  said  that  you  were  in  the 
company  of  a  band  of  brigands,  and  that  the  man  who  went 
with  you  as  your  servant  had  joined  you,  and  had  taken  you 
some  money.  He  forwarded  the  letter  you  had  sent  him 
explaining  your  position,  and  said  he  thought  that  upon  the 
whole  it  was  the  best  thing  you  could  have  done,  as  a  vigor- 
ous search  had  been  set  on  foot  at  the  instance  of  the  Jews, 
and  there  would  have  been  but  little  chance  of  your  making 
your  way  through  the  country  alone.  He  added  that  he  felt 
confident  that,  if  alive,  you  would  manage  somehow  to 
rejoin  us  before  the  campaign  opened  in  the  spring.  I  am 
glad  that  you  have  been  able  to  do  so,  but  your  appearance 
at  present  is  rather  that  of  a  wealthy  Polish  noble  than  of 
a  companion  of  brigands." 

"  I  was  able  to  do  some  service  to  Count  Staroski,  as 
>yhen  travelling  with  his  wife  and  child,  and  his  brother, 

255 


256  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

Count  John,  he  was  attacked  by  a  pack  of  wolves.  I  have 
been  staying  with  him  for  some  weeks,  and  his  brother  has 
now  had  the  kindness  to  accompany  me  here.  He  has 
thereby  made  my  passage  through  the  country  easy,  as  we 
have  travelled  with  fast  horses  in  his  sledge,  and  have  always 
put  up  at  the  chateaux  of  nobles  of  his  acquaintance.  I 
have,  therefore,  avoided  all  risk  of  arrest  at  towns.  In  the 
letter  forwarded  to  you  I  explained  the  real  circumstances 
of  the  death  of  the  Jew." 

"Yes,  we  quite  understood  that.  Captain  Carstairs.  You 
had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  death  at  his  hands,  and  as 
the  danger  was  incurred  purely  in  the  king's  service,  it  will 
not  be  forgotten.  Up  to  the  time  when  the  Jew  organized 
the  attack  upon  you  in  Warsaw,  I  was  well  satisfied  with 
your  reports  of  your  work.  So  far  nothing  has  come  of  it, 
as  Augustus  has  been  too  strong  for  any  movement  against 
him,  but  we  hope  ere  long  to  defeat  him  so  decisively  that 
our  friends  will  be  able  to  declare  against  him.  I  will 
inform  the  king  of  your  return,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will 
be  glad  to  hear  your  story  from  your  own  lips.  He  loves 
tales  of  adventure,  and  time  hangs  somewhat  heavily  on 
hand,  as  until  the  frost  breaks  nothing  can  be  done  in  the 
field." 

On  the  following  day,  indeed,  Charlie  was  sent  for  to  the 
royal  quarters,  and  had  to  recount  the  story  of  his  adven- 
tures in  full  to  the  king,  who  was  highly  interested  in  them, 
and  at  the  conclusion  requested  him  to  introduce  Count 
John  Staroski,  in  order  that  he  might  express  to  him  his 
obligation  for  the  service  he  had  rendered  to  one  of  his 
officers.  This  done,  Charlie  drove  out  with  the  count  to 
the  village  where  Colonel  Jamieson's  regiment  was  quar- 
tered, and  where  his  return  was  received  with  delight  by 
Harry,  and  with  great  pleasure  by  Major  Jervoise  and  his 
fellow-officers.  He  was  obliged  to  give  a  short  outline  of 
what  he  had  been  doing  since  he  left,  but  put  off  going  into 
details  for  a  future  occasion. 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW  257 

"And  are  you  coming  back  to  us  now,  Charlie?"  Harry 
asked. 

"Certainly;  my  success  in  the  diplomatic  way  was  not 
sufficiently  marked  for  them  to  be  likely  to  employ  me  in 
that  line  again.  We  must  return  this  afternoon,  as  the  king 
has  invited  us  both  to  sup  with  him  to-night." 

Two  days  later  Count  John  Staroski  started  upon  his 
return  journey,  much  pleased  with  the  reception  he  had 
met  with  from  the  King  of  Sweden,  and  determined  to 
work  vigorously  among  the  nobles  of  his  acquaintance  to 
bring  about  the  dethronement  of  Augustus  of  Saxony. 
Charlie  had  already  seen  Count  Piper,  who  had  told  him 
that,  although  the  king  and  himself  were  both  well  satis- 
fied with  the  work  he  had  done,  there  was  not  at  present 
any  mission  of  the  same  sort  on  which  he  could  be  em- 
ployed. Indeed,  it  was  evident  that  until  the  Saxons  had 
been  decisively  defeated  political  action  would  be  useless, 
and  that,  therefore,  for  the  present  he  could  either  remain 
at  head-quarters,  or  rejoin  his  regiment.  Charlie  at  once 
chose  the  latter  alternative. 

"Very  well.  Captain  Carstairs,  you  can  rejoin  when  you 
like,  but  remember  I  may  claim  your  services  again.  You 
see,  now  that  you  have  acquired  a  knowledge  of  Polish, 
your  value  for  this  sort  of  work  is  largely  increased." 

As  soon  as  the  frost  had  broken  the  Swedish  army  com- 
menced its  advance.  Skirmishes  frequently  took  place, 
but  Augustus  had  as  yet  no  army  with  which  he  could  meet 
them  in  the  field,  and  he  summoned  a  diet  at  Warsaw,  in 
hopes  of  persuading  the  Poles  to  decide  upon  calling  out 
the  whole  national  force.  In  this  he  failed  altogether. 
The  citizens,  led  by  the  foreign  traders,  were  already 
openly  opposed  to  him,  and  their  attitude  so  encouraged 
his  opponents  in  the  diet,  that  many  of  these  rose  and 
openly  denounced  the  government  and  the  conduct  of  the 
king  that  had  brought  the  country  into  its  present  dififi- 
culties. 


258  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

As  the  Swedish  army  advanced  they  were  joined  by  the 
Duke  of  Holstein,  and,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  a  consid- 
erable body  of  the  enemy  under  Prince  Wisniowiski,  pro- 
gressed steadily,  crossed  the  river  Memel,  and  when  near 
Grodno,  were  met  by  an  embassy  sent  by  the  diet,  to  en- 
deavour to  persuade  Charles  not  to  advance  further. 

An  interview  took  place  between  the  king,  the  Poles, 
and  his  ministers,  the  conversation  on  both  sides  being 
in  Latin.  But  as  the  ambassadors  had  no  definite  plans  to 
propose,  and  their  leaders  were  wholly  devoted  to  Augus- 
tus, the  king  refused  to  allow  his  advance  to  be  arrested, 
and  continued  his  march.  When  near  Praga  they  crossed 
the  plain  where  Charles  Gustavus,  King  of  Sweden,  had 
defeated  the  Polish  army  in  a  great  battle,  that  had  lasted 
for  three  days.  The  city  was  occupied,  and  a  contribu- 
tion of  20,000  crowns  imposed  upon  it,  in  addition  to  food 
for  the  army  while  it  remained  there.  Plundering,  how- 
ever, was  strictly  forbidden,  and  as  the  king  issued  a  proc- 
lamation declaring  that  he  was  no  enemy  of  the  Polish 
Republic,  but  simply  of  their  king,  the  inhabitants  were 
on  the  whole  well  satisfied  with  the  conduct  of  the  invaders. 

A  halt  was  made  here  for  some  time,  and  a  bridge  was 
thrown  across  the  Vistula,  while  the  army  rested  after  the 
long  and  fatiguing  marches  it  had  made.  A  fresh  attempt 
was  made  to  arrest  the  advance  of  the  Swedes,  and  the 
Cardinal  Primate  himself  met  the  king;  but  nothing  came 
of  the  negotiations,  and  the  army  entered  Warsaw.  Here 
they  were  warmly  received,  and  great  entertainments  were 
given  to  the  king.  Towards  the  end  of  June  they  again 
advanced  to  meet  the  force  that  Augustus  had  gathered, 
and  on  the  6th  of  July  the  Swedes  arrived  within  a  few 
miles  of  Clissow.  The  next  day  some  reinforcements 
arrived,  and  the  king  decided  to  give  battle  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  which  was  the  anniversary  of  the  victory  on  the 
Dwina  the  previous  year. 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW  259 

His  army  was  twelve  thousand  strong,  while  that  of 
Augustus  was  nearly  double  that  strength,  and  was  very 
strongly  posted,  his  camp  being  surrounded  by  morasses, 
although  situated  on  rising  ground  which  commanded  the 
whole  of  the  country  round  it.  The  bogs  in  the  front  were 
found  to  be  so  impassable,  that  the  Swedes  were  forced  to 
make  a  circuit  to  the  left,  where  the  ground  was  firmer. 
This  movement  obliged  the  enemy  also  to  change  front,  a 
movement  that  caused  considerable  confusion,  as  they 
themselves  were  forced  to  traverse  boggy  ground  to  take 
up  a  new  position  facing  that  by  which  the  Swedes  would 
now  advance. 

The  attack  was  commenced  by  the  division  commanded 
by  the  Duke  of  Holstein,  but  scarcely  had  he  set  his 
troops  in  motion  than  he  was  mortally  wounded  by  a  ball 
from  a  falconet.  His  troops,  however,  pushed  forward 
vigorously;  the  Polish  division  opposed  to  them  resisted 
the  two  first  assaults  bravely,  but  gave  way  at  the  third 
attack,  and  were  driven  from  the  ground  in  such  confusion 
that  they  took  no  further  part  in  the  engagement. 

While  this  was  going  on  the  Saxon  cavalry  had  been 
repulsed  hf  that  of  Charles,  and  passing  in  their  retreat 
under   the   fire   of   three    infantry   regiments,  suffered   so 
heavily  that  they  left  the  field.     The  Swedish    foot  now 
advanced  all  along  the  line,  and  in  the  centre  destroyed 
several  battalions  of   Saxons.     But  the  Swedish  right  was 
attacked   so   vigorously  by  the   Saxon   left  under   Field- 
marshal  Steinau,  that  for  a  time  the  conflict  was  doubtful. 
The   Swedish   horse-guards   and   other   cavalry,    however, 
charged  with  such  determination  that  the  Saxon  horse  on 
this  flank  were  also  defeated  and  driven  off  the  field,  while 
the    Swedish    infantry,    advancing   without    firing,    drove 
several  battalions  of  Saxon  foot  into  a  village,  where,  be- 
ing surrounded,  almost  all  were  killed  or  taken  prisoners. 
The  Saxon  horse  gathering  once  more  attempted  bravely 


260  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

to  retrieve  the  fate  of  the  day,  and  engaged  the  Swedish 
horse  with  such  desperate  valour,  that  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  Saxon  infantry  were  enabled  under  cover  of  the 
conflict  to  draw  off,  cross  the  morasses,  and  make  their 
escape. 

The  battle  lasted  four  hours,  and  had  been  throughout 
severely  contested.  The  Saxons  lost  four  thousand  killed 
and  wounded,  and  three  thousand  taken  prisoners,  while 
the  Swedes  had  eleven  hundred  killed  and  wounded. 
Forty-eight  cannon  were  captured  by  the  victors,  together 
with  all  the  baggage  and  waggons.  The  death  of  the 
Duke  of  Holstein,  a  gallant  prince  who  was  exceedingly 
popular  with  the  army  and  beloved  by  the  king,  cast  a 
gloom  over  this  great  victory  which  virtually  laid  Poland 
at  the  feet  of  the  victors,  and  insured  the  fulfilment  of  the 
object  for  which  Charles  had  persisted  in  the  war. 

Jamieson's  regiment  had  been  on  the  left  wing,  but  as 
it  had  been  held  in  reserve  to  strengthen  the  line  at  any 
point  at  which  it  might  give  way,  the  Scotch  had  taken 
but  a  small  share  in  the  fighting,  and  had  but  thirty  men 
killed  and  wounded  by  the  shot  and  bullets  that  passed 
over  the  heads  of  the  fighting  line. 

The  captain  of  one  of  the  companies  was  among  those 
killed,  and  Charlie,  who  had,  since  he  rejoined  the  regi- 
ment, been  doing  duty  as  lieutenant,  now  took  the  vacant 
place. 

The  army  still  advanced.  Augustus  sent  in  several  pro- 
posals for  peace,  but  these  were  all  rejected.  The  Saxons 
had  speedily  rallied  after  the  battle,  but  were  not  in  a 
position  to  oppose  the  advance  of  the  victorious  Swedes, 
who  occupied  Cracow  without  meeting  with  any  resistance. 
Seeing  that  Augustus  would  not  be  strong  enough  to  hazard 
another  pitched  battle,  Charles  had,  on  the  morning  after 
the  victory,  ordered  three  of  his  regiments,  of  which 
Jamieson's  was  one,  to  march  with  all  speed  to  reinforce 


THE    BATTLE    OF    CLISSOW  261 

Major-general  Schlippenbach,  who  had  sent  an  urgent  re- 
quest for  aid,  as  he  heard  that  the  Russian  army  fifty  thou- 
sand strong  was  preparing  to  cross  the  frontier,  and  as  he 
had  but  six  thousand  he  could  not  hope  to  oppose  their 
advance  successfully. 

As  the  king's  orders  enjoined  the  troops  to  march  with 
the  greatest  possible  speed,  they  performed  the  journey 
back  to  Warsaw  in  four  days,  although  the  distance  exceeded 
a  hundred  miles.  Mounted  messengers  had  been  sent  on 
before  them,  and  on  reaching  the  town  they  found  boats 
already  prepared  to  take  them  down  the  river  to  Danzic, 
where  orders  had  already  been  sent  for  ships  to  be  in  readi- 
ness to  convey  them  to  Revel.  The  fatigues  since  the  cam- 
paign opened  had  been  severe,  and  the  troops  all  enjoyed 
the  long  days  of  rest  while  the  craft  that  conveyed  them 
dropped  quietly  down  the  Vistula.  Then  came  the  short 
sea-passage. 

On  their  arrival  at  Revel  bad  news  met  them.  They  had 
come  too  late.  On  the  i6th  of  July  the  Russian  army  had 
passed  the  frontier,  and  the  Swedes  had  tried  to  oppose 
them  at  the  passage  of  the  river  Embach ;  but  the  water  was 
low  from  the  effects  of  a  long  drought,  and  the  Russians 
were  enabled  to  ford  it  at  several  points.  The  Swedes  fell 
upon  those  who  first  crossed,  and  for  two  hours  repulsed 
their  attacks,  obtaining  at  some  points  considerable  advan- 
tage and  capturing  some  guns,  but  as  fresh  reinforcements 
poured  across  the  river  the  tide  of  battle  turned.  The 
Russian  cavalry  drove  back  the  Swedish  horse,  who,  as  they 
retreated,  rode  through  the  infantry  and  threw  them  into 
disorder.  These  were  attacked  by  the  Russians  before  they 
could  recover  from  their  confusion,  and  were  almost  entirely 
destroyed  or  taken  prisoners. 

The  general  and  many  of  the  mounted  officers  effected 
their  escape,  rallied  the  broken  cavalry,  and  fell  back 
towards  Revel.     The  Russians  spread  over  the  country  and 


262  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

plundered  it,  burning  the  little  town  of  Valk,  murdering 
its  inhabitants,  and  carrying  off  into  slavery  the  whole  of 
the  population  who  fell  into  their  hands.  The  arrival  of 
the  three  regiments  was  hailed  with  much  satisfaction  by  the 
people  of  Revel,  who  feared  that  the  Russians  might  besiege 
the  town.  They  did  not,  however,  approach  within  many 
miles,  but  after  completely  wasting  the  country  retired 
across  the  frontier. 

The  victory  that  had  been  gained  over  the  Swedes  at 
Embach,  and  the  destruction  of  the  greater  part  of  General 
Schlippenbach's  force,  enabled  the  czar  to  turn  his  arms 
against  Ingria,  the  extreme  eastern  province  of  Sweden, 
which  included  the  shores  of  Lake  Ladoga  and  the  whole 
of  the  coast  of  the  Baltic  between  Narva  and  Finland. 
Urgent  messages  were  sent  by  the  governor  of  that  province 
to  General  Schlippenbach  requesting  him  to  send  him  aid, 
as  he  had  not  even  suf^cient  men  to  garrison  the  walled 
towns.  The  general  was,  however,  afraid  that  Narva  would 
be  again  besieged,  and  he  therefore  dared  not  reduce  his 
small  force  to  any  considerable  degree,  but  drew  one  com- 
pany from  each  of  the  three  regiments,  and  embarked  them 
on  board  a  ship  for  the  mouth  of  the  Neva.  As  there 
seemed  little  prospect  of  service  for  a  time  near  Revel,  all 
the  officers  were  eager  that  their  company  should  be  chosen 
for  the  service  in  Ingria.  Colonel  Jamieson  therefore  said, 
"I  do  not  wish  to  choose  one  company  more  than  another; 
all  can  equally  be  depended  upon.  Therefore,  I  think  the 
fairest  way  will  be  to  draw  lots  as  to  which  shall  go." 

The  lot  fell  upon  Charlie's  company,  which  therefore 
formed  part  of  the  expedition.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of 
the  Neva  they  heard  that  the  town  of  Notteburg,  situated 
at  the  point  where  the  Neva  issues  from  the  lake,  was 
already  besieged  by  the  Russians,  and  that  the  Swedish 
vessels  on  the  lake  had  been  obliged  to  come  down  the 
river.     A  fort  had  been  raised  by  the  Russians  on  the  bank 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW  263 

to  prevent  succour  being  conveyed  into  the  town,  and  two 
thousand  men  had  crossed  the  river  and  occupied  a  small 
redoubt  on  the  northern  side,  so  that  the  town  was  com- 
pletely invested.  The  newly-arrived  force  was  ordered  to 
march  at  once  with  a  hundred  horse  and  four  field-pieces, 
the  whole  under  the  command  of  Major  Sion,  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  country. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this  expedition,  Captain  Car- 
stairs?"  his  lieutenant,  John  Bowyer,  asked  him. 

"I  would  rather  be  back  with  King  Charles,"  Charlie 
replied.  "Of  course  I  don't  know  the  geography  of  the 
place,  but  if  the  Russians  keep  their  eyes  at  all  open  I  don't 
see  how  a  force  like  ours  with  cavalry  and  guns  can  hope 
to  enter  the  town  unnoticed.  The  addition  of  the  horse- 
men seems  to  me  altogether  ridiculous,  as  they  could  be  no 
good  whatever  if  they  did  enter  the  town.  As  for  those 
four  field-pieces,  they  will  hamper  our  march;  and  as  they 
say  the  Russians  have  already  some  forty  cannon  in  posi- 
tion about  the  town,  those  little  pieces  would  be  useless. 
Four  hundred  infantry  making  the  attempt  at  night  under 
good  guidance  might  manage  to  slip  into  the  place,  but  this 
procession  of  ours  is,  to  my  mind,  tempting  destruction, 
for  we  certainly  cannot  hope  to  cut  our  way  by  force  through 
the  whole  Russian  army. 

"  But  even  if  we  do  get  inside  the  town,  our  plight  can  be 
no  better.  The  Russians'  cannon  are  bombarding  it  night 
and  day,  and  more  batteries  are  in  course  of  erection,  and 
Schlippenbach  the  governor,  who  is,  I  believe,  a  brother 
of  the  general,  has  but  a  few  pieces  to  reply  to  them.  Were 
there  an  army  advancing  to  the  relief  of  the  place  it  would 
be  different  altogether,  for  our  reinforcement  might  be  of 
vital  importance  in  repelling  assaults  until  aid  arrived.  But 
there  is  no  hope  of  aid;  the  king's  army  is  some  nine  hun- 
dred miles  away,  and  his  hands  are  full.  General  Schlip- 
penbach has  sent  as  many  men  as  he  could  spare.     They 


264  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

say  there  are  at  least  twenty  thousand  Russians  round  the 
town,  and  where  is  an  army  to  come  from  that  can  compel 
them  to  raise  the  siege?  To  my  mind,  we  shall  either  be 
destroyed  making  our  way  into  the  town,  or,  if  we  do  get 
in,  shall  be  made  prisoners  of  war,  if  not  massacred — ^for 
the  Russians  have  but  vague  ideas  as  to  giving  quarter — 
when  the  town  falls,  which  may  be  a  fortnight  hence." 

"It  seems  a  bad  look-out  altogether,"  the  lieutenant 
remarked. 

"Very  much  so.  The  best  possible  thing  that  could 
befall  us  would  be  for  the  Russians  to  make  us  out  before 
we  get  too  far  into  their  lines,  in  which  case  we  may  be 
able  to  fall  back  before  they  can  gather  in  overwhelming 
strength,  and  may  thus  draw  off  without  any  very  great 
loss." 

Major  Sion  called  the  captains  of  the  infantry  companies 
and  the  troop  of  horse  to  a  sort  of  council  of  war,  when  the 
little  force  halted  for  an  hour  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

"We  have  another  ten  miles  to  march,  gentlemen,  and  I 
should  like  to  ask  your  opinion  as  to  whether  it  would  be 
best  to  try  to  force  our  way  in  as  soon  as  we  get  there,  or 
to  halt  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  miles  from  the  Rus- 
sians, and  make^  our  effort  at  daybreak  before  they  are 
fairly  afoot." 

The  other  three  officers  gave  their  opinion  in  order  of 
seniority,  and  all  advocated  the  plan  of  falling  upon  the 
Muscovites  at  daybreak. 

"And  what  do  you  think,  Captain  Carstairs?"  Major 
Sion  asked  Charlie. 

"I  regret  to  say,  major,  that  my  opinion  differs  from 
that  of  the  other  gentlemen,  and  this  for  several  reasons. 
In  the  first  place,  if  we  halt  so  near  the  Russians  our 
presence  in  their  neighbourhood  may  be  betrayed  by  a 
peasant,  and  we  may  be  surprised  in  the   night.     If  no 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW  265 

such  mishap  should  take  place,  we  should  have  to  be  on 
foot  two  hours  before  sunrise.  I  in  no  way  doubt  your 
knowledge  of  the  road,  but  it  is  at  all  times  difficult  to 
make  out  a  mere  track,  like  that  we  are  following,  at  night, 
and  in  the  morning  we  might  well  find  ourselves  involved 
in  the  Russian  intrenchments,  from  which  we  could  not 
extricate  ourselves  before  a  large  force  had  gathered  round 
us,  in  which  case  we  must  be  all  either  killed  or  taken 
prisoners.  My  own  suggestion  would  be  that  we  should 
remain  here  another  two  hours,  and  then  continue  our 
march  so  as  to  reach  the  spot  where  we  are  to  endeavour 
to  break  through  their  line  about  sunset.  Should  we  be 
observed,  as  we  most  likely  should  be,  we  might  at  that 
hour  be  taken  for  a  freshly-arrived  body  of  Russian  troops. 
There  would  be  no  risk  of  losing  our  way,  and  we  might 
hope  to  be  close  upon  them  before  we  were  discovered  to 
be  enemies.  If  we  succeed,  as  I  trust  we  shall,  in  break- 
ing our  way  through  and  reaching  the  town,  well  and  good. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  find  greater  obstacles  than  we 
expect,  and  are  forced  to  fall  back  fighting,  we  shall  have 
the  advantage  that  darkness  will  be  setting  in.  The  Rus- 
sians, the  greater  part  of  whom  will  be  ignorant  of  our 
strength,  will  lose  time  before  they  move,  fearing  they 
may  be  assaulted  in  other  quarters,  and  in  the  darkness  we 
might  be  able  to  make  good  our  escape,  which  it  is  certain 
none  of  us  would  do  should  we  meet  with  a  repulse  at  day- 
break." 

"Your  reasons  are  very  just,  Captain  Carstairs.  Though 
certainly  my  opinion  was  in  accordance  with  that  given  by 
your  fellow-officers,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  your  argument 
seems  unanswerable.  What  say  you,  gentlemen?  I  have 
two  objects  in  view — the  first  to  reinforce  the  garrison  of 
Notteburg,  the  second  to  save  the  troops  under  my  com- 
mand if  I  should  fail  in  doing  so.  I  know  the  country 
well,  but  its  features  will  be  considerably  altered.     Trees 


266  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

will  have  been  cut  down,  houses  levelled,  intrenchments 
thrown  up,  camps  scattered  here  and  there,  and  I  own  that 
in  the  dark,  I  might,  as  Captain  Carstairs  says,  very  easily 
miss  my  way.  I  think  his  proposal  therefore  unites  the 
greatest  chances  of  getting  through  their  line  and  entering 
the  town,  with  a  possibility  of  drawing  off  the  troops  with- 
out great  loss  in  case  of  failure." 

The  other  three  officers  at  once  agreed,  and  orders  were 
issued  for  the  men  to  lie  down  until  five  o'clock  and  rest 
themselves  before  pursuing  their  march.  It  was  past  that 
hour  before  they  were  in  motion  again.  Major  Sion,  with 
a  peasant  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Notteburg,  rode 
ahead.  Then  came  the  troop  of  cavalry,  with  the  guns 
close  behind  them,  followed  by  the  infantry.  As  they 
approached  the  Russian  lines  the  peasant  several  times 
went  on  in  advance,  and  presently  a  trooper  rode  down  the 
line  with  the  order  that  the  troops  with  firearms  were  to 
light  their  matches  and  the  spearmen  to  keep  in  a  com- 
pact body.  They  were  now  not  far  from  the  Russian  lines, 
and  the  destruction  that  had  been  wrought  during  the  last 
ten  days  was  visible  to  them.  Every  tree  and  bush  had 
been  felled  for  use  in  the  intrenchments  or  for  the  erection 
of  shelters.  A  few  blackened  walls  alone  showed  where 
houses  had  stood.  Gardens  had  been  destroyed  and 
orchards  levelled. 

Light  smoke  could  be  seen  rising  at  many  points  from 
the  Russian  fires,  and  when  the  troops  were  halted  they 
were  but  half  a  mile  from  the  intrenchments. 

Word  was  passed  down  that  the  rapid  Swedish  march  was 
to  be  moderated,  and  that  they  were  to  move  carelessly 
and  at  a  slow  rate  as  if  fatigued  by  a  long  march,  and  that 
the  spears  were  to  be  carried  at  the  trail,  as  they  were  so 
much  longer  than  those  used  by  the  Russians  that  their 
length  would,  if  carried  erect,  at  once  betray  the  national- 
ity of  the  troops.     There  was  no  attempt  at  concealment, 


THE   BATTLE   OF   CLISSOW  267 

for  the  cavalry  would  be  visible  for  a  considerable  distance 
across  the  flat  country.  Considerable  bodies  of  men 
could  be  seen  gathered  round  fires  at  a  distance  of  not 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  either  hand,  but  as  the 
column  passed  between  them  there  was  no  sign  of  any 
stir. 

In  a  short  time  the  order  was  passed  for  the  troops  to 
form  from  column  into  line,  and  the  cavalry  officer  who 
brought  it  said  that  there  was  a  Russian  battery  erected 
right  across  the  road  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
ahead. 

"Things  look  better,  Captain  Carstairs,"  the  lieutenant 
said,  as  the  company,  which  happened  to  be  leading,  fell 
into  line. 

"Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  take  their  battery,  com- 
ing down,  as  we  do,  upon  its  rear.  The  question  is,  Are 
there  any  intrenchments  ahead?  Major  Sion  told  us  when 
we  halted  that  the  peasant  assured  him  that  there  were  no 
works  beyond  it,  and  that  it  was  the  weakest  point  of  the 
line;  but  it  is  three  days  since  he  came  out  from  Notte- 
burg,  and  working  hard  as  the  Russians  evidently  do,  they 
may  have  pushed  on  their  intrenchments  far  in  advance  of 
the  battery  by  this  time." 

The  force  halted  for  a  moment.  The  guns  were  unlim- 
bered,  turned  round,  and  loaded.  Then  the  line  of  cavalry 
opened  right  and  left,  the  four  pieces  poured  a  discharge 
of  grape  into  the  Russians  clustered  thickly  in  the  battery 
four  hundred  yards  away,  and  then  with  a  shout  the  Swed- 
ish cavalry  charged,  the  infantry  coming  on  at  a  run  behind 
them.  The  surprise  was  complete.  With  cries  of  terror 
the  Russians  for  the  most  part  leapt  from  the  battery  and 
fled,  and  the  few  who  attempted  to  defend  their  guns  were 
sabred  by  the  cavalry. 

"There  are  other  works  ahead!"  Major  Sion  exclaimed, 
as  sitting  on  his  horse  he  looked  over  the  parapet,  "  and 


268  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

bodies  of  troops  scattered  all  about.  Push  forward,  men, 
at  a  double,  and  do  you.  Captain  Sherlbach,  cut  a  way  for 
us  with  your  cavalry." 

The  sun  had  set  a  few  minutes  before  the  guns  were  fired, 
and  Charlie,  as  he  led  his  men  over  the  earthwork  and  saw 
the  Russian  lines  in  front,  congratulated  himself  upon  the 
fact  that  in  another  half  hour  it  would  be  quite  dark.  As 
they  approached  the  next  line  of  works  a  scattering  lire  of 
musketry  opened  upon  them,  but  the  aim  was  wide,  and 
without  loss  they  reached  the  work.  The  Russians,  though 
inferior  in  numbers,  defended  themselves  obstinately,  and 
continually  received  reinforcements  of  bodies  of  men  run- 
ning up  from  all  sides.  In  five  minutes  the  Swedes  cleared 
the  works  of  them,  but  as  they  prepared  to  advance  again 
they  saw  a  large  body  of  horse  riding  down  to  bar  their 
advance,  while  numbers  of  footmen  were  running  to  occupy 
some  intrenchments  ahead  of  them.  Trumpets  were 
sounding  to  the  right,  left,  and  rear. 

"We  cannot  force  our  way  farther,"  the  major  said  to 
Charlie.  "  We  knew  nothing  of  these  works,  and  they  are 
fatal  to  our  enterprise.  We  must  retreat  while  we  can. 
Do  you  not  think  so?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  think  the  enterprise  is  quite  hopeless." 

The  order  was  given;  the  troops  faced  about,  formed 
into  closer  order,  and  at  the  double  retraced  their  steps, 
the  spearmen  of  each  company  forming  its  front  line  and 
the  musketeers  the  second.  Already  it  was  growing  dusk. 
The  cavalry  riding  ahead  scattered  the  small  bodies  of  men 
who  threw  themselves  in  their  way,  and  the  battery  they 
had  first  taken  was  entered  without  loss.  There  was  a 
momentary  halt  here  for  the  men  to  recover  their  wind. 
Then  the  musketeers  poured  a  volley  into  a  dark  line  ad- 
vancing upon  them,  the  horsemen  charged  in  among  them, 
the  long  pikes  of  the  front  line  cleared  the  way,  and  with 
a  shout  the  Swedes  passed  through  their  foes  and  pressed 
forward. 


THE    BATILE    OF    CLISSOW  269 

But  more  troops  were  gathering  to  bar  their  way,  and  the 
major  changed  the  line  of  march  sharply  to  the  right, 
sweeping  along  by  the  side  of  the  force  through  which  they 
had  just  cut  their  way,  the  musketeers  on  the  flank  firing 
into  them  as  they  passed.  The  movement  was  an  adroit 
one,  for  in  the  gathering  darkness  the  enemy  in  front  would 
not  be  able  to  distinguish  friends  from  foes,  or  to  perceive 
the  nature  of  the  movement.  For  a  few  minutes  they  were 
unmolested,  then  the  course  was  again  changed,  and  Charlie 
was  beginning  to  think  that  in  the  darkness  they  would  yet 
make  their  escape,  when  a  dull  heavy  sound  was  heard  in 
their  rear. 

"That's  the  Russian  cavalry,  Bowyer;  take  the  musket- 
eers on  with  you,  and  keep  close  to  the  company  ahead. 
I  will  break  them  up  with  the  pikemen.  If  they  do  come 
up  to  you,  give  them  a  volley  and  then  continue  your 
retreat  with  the  rest." 

While  the  captains  of  the  other  two  companies  had  placed 
their  pikemen  in  the  front  line,  Charlie  had  placed  his  in 
the  rear,  in  order  to  repel  any  attack  of  cavalry  from  that 
direction.  He  now  formed  them  in  a  close  clump,  taking 
his  place  among  them.  The  Russian  squadrons  came  along 
with  a  deep  roll  like  that  of  thunder.  They  were  but  thirty 
yards  away  when  they  perceived  the  little  cluster  of  men 
with  levelled  lances.  A  few,  unable  to  check  their  horses, 
rushed  upon  the  points,  but  most  of  them  reined  in  their 
little  steeds  in  time.  In  a  moment  the  Swedes  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  of  yelling  horsemen,  some  of  whom  tried 
to  break  through  the  hedge  of  spears,  while  others  dis- 
charged their  pistols.  Charlie  listened  anxiously  for  the 
roll  of  a  volley  of  musketry,  but  no  sound  came,  and  he 
felt  sure  that  the  whole  body  of  cavalry  had  halted  round 
him,  and  that  his  movement  had  saved  the  rest,  who  would 
now,  if  fortunate,  be  able  to  make  their  way  off  in  the 
darkness.     But  the  men  were  falling  now  from  the  pistol- 


270  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

fire  of  the  Cossacks,  and  feeling  that  the  work  had  been 
done  he  determined  to  make  one  effort  to  save  the  men 
with  him. 

"Level  your  spears,  and  charge  through  them  shoulder 
to  shoulder,"  he  said;  "it  is  your  only  chance.  Once 
through,  throw  away  your  spears  and  break  up  in  the  dark- 
ness; most  of  you  may  escape.     Now!  " 

With  a  shout  the  Swedes  rushed  forward  in  a  body; 
horses  and  riders  went  down  before  them.  There  was  a 
rush  from  behind.  Charlie  shouted  to  the  rear  rank  to 
face  about,  but  in  the  confusion  and  din  his  words  were 
unheard.  There  was  a  brief  struggle  in  the  darkness. 
Charlie  emptied  his  pistols  and  cut  down  more  than  one  of 
his  opponents,  then  a  sword  fell  on  his  shoulder,  while  at 
the  same  moment  he  was  ridden  over  by  a  Cossack,  and  was 
stunned  by  the  force  of  his  fall.  When  he  recovered  con- 
sciousness several  men  with  torches  were  moving  about 
him,  and  at  the  orders  of  an  officer  were  examining  the 
bodies  of  the  fallen.  He  saw  them  pass  their  swords 
through  the  bodies  of  three  of  his  own  men  who  were  lying 
near  him,  and  as  they  came  up  to  him  he  closed  his  eyes 
expecting  a  similar  fate. 

"This  is  an  officer,  captain,"  one  of  the  torch-bearers 
said  in  Russian. 

"Very  well;  carry  him  to  the  camp,  then.  If  he  is  alive 
the  general  may  want  to  question  him." 

Seeing  that  he  breathed,  four  of  the  Russian  soldiers 
took  him  upon  their  shoulders  and  carried  him  away.  The 
pain  of  his  wound,  caused  by  the  movement,  was  acute,  but 
he  retained  consciousness  until,  after  what  seemed  to  him  a 
journey  of  immense  length  he  was  again  laid  down  on  the 
ground,  close  to  a  large  fire.  Several  officers  stood  round 
him,  and  he  asked,  first  in  Polish  and  then  in  Swedish,  for 
water,  and  at  the  orders  of  one  who  seemed  of  superior 
rank  to  the  others,  some  was  at  once  brought  to  him. 


THE    BATTLE   OF    CLISSOW  271 

"Your  king  treats  his  prisoners  well,"  the  officer  said. 
"We  will  do  everything  we  can  for  you." 

Half  an  hour  later  a  doctor  came  to  his  side,  and  cutting 
open  his  coat,  applied  a  bandage  to  his  shoulder. 

"Is  it  a  serious  wound?  "  Charlie  asked  in  Swedish. 

"It  might  be  worse,  but  it  will  be  a  troublesome  one;  it 
is  a  sabre-cut,  and  has  cleft  right  through  your  shoulder- 
bone.     Are  you  hurt  anywhere  else?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not  think  so.  I  was  knocked  down  in  the 
dark  and  I  believe  stunned,  though  I  have  a  sort  of  recol- 
lection of  being  trampled  on,  and  I  feel  sore  all  over." 

The  surgeon  felt  his  ribs  and  limbs,  repeatedly  asking 
him  if  it  hurt  him.  When  he  finished  the  examination  he 
said:  "You  are  doubtless  badly  bruised,  but  I  don't  think 
anything  is  broken.  Our  Cossack  horses  are  little  more 
than  ponies,  had  they  been  heavy  horse  they  would  have 
trod  your  life  out." 

A  few  moments  later  there  was  a  sound  of  trampling 
horses.  They  halted  close  by.  The  officers  drew  back, 
and  a  moment  later  Marshal  Scheremetof,  the  commander 
of  the  Russian  army,  came  up  to  Charlie's  side. 

"Which  of  you  speaks  Swedish?"  he  asked  the  officers, 
and  one  of  them  stepped  forward.  "  Ask  him  what  force 
was  this  that  attacked  us,  and  with  what  object."  As 
Charlie  saw  no  reason  for  concealment,  he  replied  that  it 
was  a  body  of  four  hundred  Swedish  infantry  and  a  troop 
of  horse,  with  four  guns,  and  that  their  object  was  to  enter 

the  town. 

"  They  must  have  been  mad  to  attempt  to  cut  their  way 
through  our  whole  army,"  the  general  said,  when  the  answer 
was  translated  to  him;  "but  by  St.  Paul  they  nearly  suc- 
ceeded. The  Swedes  are  mad,  but  this  was  too  much  even 
for  madmen.  Ask  him  whence  the  force  came.  It  may  be 
that  a  large  reinforcement  has  reached  Vyburg  without  our 
knowing  it." 


272  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

"We  arrived  two  days  since,"  Charlie  replied,  when  the 
question  was  put  to  him.  "We  came  in  a  ship  together 
from  Revel." 

"Did  others  come  with  you?"  was  next  asked  at  the 
general's  dictation. 

"No  other  ship  but  ours  has  arrived." 

"But  others  are  coming?  " 

As  Charlie  had  no  doubt  that  great  efforts  would  be  made 
to  send  further  reinforcements  he  replied : 

"  Many  more  troops  are  coming,  but  I  cannot  say  when 
they  will  arrive." 

"Will  it  be  soon?" 

"That  I  cannot  say,  but  I  don't  think  they  will  come 
from  Revel.  There  was  a  talk  of  large  reinforcements,  but 
whether  from  Sweden  or  from  the  king's  army,  I  cannot 
say." 

"Are  you  a  Swede?  "  the  general  asked. 

"I  am  an  Englishman  in  the  Swedish  service,  general." 

"We  have  many  of  your  countrymen  with  us,"  the  gen- 
eral said.  "It  would  have  been  better  for  you  had  you 
come  to  the  czar.  See  that  he  is  well  treated,"  he  said  to 
the  officers,  and  then  mounted  and  rode  away. 


CHAPTER  XV 

AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE 

I^HE  next  morning  Charlie  was  placed  in  a  tent  in  which 
lay  several  officers  who  had  been  wounded  either  the 
night  before  or  by  shots  from  the  town.  He  learned  with 
great  pleasure,  upon  questioning  the  doctor,  that  the  Swedes 
had  got  off  safely  in  the  darkness.  Some  eight  or  ten  men 
only  had  straggled  and  been  made  prisoners,  and  not  more 
than  twenty  had  been  left  dead  on  the  field.  He  had  the 
satisfaction  therefore  of  knowing  that  the  defence  made 
by  his  own  pikemen  had  been  the  means  of  saving  the  whole 
force.  In  other  respects  he  had  nothing  to  complain  of, 
for  he  was  well  attended  to,  and  received  the  same  treat- 
ment as  the  Russians. 

For  another  ten  days  the  roar  of  the  cannon  continued, 
some  seventy  guns  keeping  up  an  incessant  fire  on  the 
town.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  governor  capitulated, 
and  was  allowed  to  march  out  with  the  honours  of  war. 

Only  forty  out  of  the  brave  garrison  remained  un- 
wounded  at  the  end  of  the  siege.  They,  as  well  as  such  of 
their  comrades  as  were  strong  enough  to  travel,  passed 
through  the  lines  of  the  Russians,  and  marched  to  Vyburg. 

Three  weeks  after  being  made  a  prisoner  Charlie's 
wound  was  so  far  healed  that  the  surgeon  pronounced  him 
able  to  sit  a  horse,  and  under  the  escort  of  an  officer  and 

273 


274  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

four  Cossacks  he  was  taken  by  easy  stages  to  Bercov,  a 
prison  fortress  a  short  distance  from  Moscow.  He  had 
inquired  from  the  surgeon  who  attended  him  for  Dr.  Kelly. 
The  doctor  knew  him,  but  said  that  he  was  not  with  the 
army,  but  was,  he  believed,  away  visiting  some  towns  on 
the  Volga,  where  a  serious  pestilence  was  raging. 

Charlie  remained  but  a  short  time  at  Bercov.  His 
wound  was  healing  rapidly,  and  the  surgeon  who  attended 
him  assured  him  that  there  was  every  prospect  of  his  mak- 
ing a  complete  cure  if  he  would  but  keep  his  arm  for  some 
weeks  in  a  sling.  He  had  nothing  to  complain  of,  either 
as  to  his  comfort  or  food.  The  governor,  who  spoke  a 
little  Polish,  visited  him  every  day,  and  asked  many  ques- 
tions as  to  his  native  country.  On  one  of  these  visits  he 
said  to  him,  "You  asked  me  yesterday  if  I  knew  Dr. 
Kelly,  one  of  the  chief  surgeons  of  the  army,  who,  as  you 
had  heard,  was  at  present  on  the  Volga.  You  mentioned 
that  he  was  a  friend  of  yours,  and  that  you  had  made  his 
acquaintance  when  you  were  unlucky  enough  before  to  be 
a  prisoner  in  our  hands.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  to- 
day seen  an  official  report,  in  which  his  name  appears 
among  the  list  of  those  who  have  fallen  victims  to  the 
pestilence." 

"I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,"  Charlie  exclaimed;  "both 
because  he  was  very  kind  to  me  and  I  liked  him  much, 
and  because  in  the  second  place  I  was  sure  that  he  would 
have  used  his  influence  with  the  czar  to  obtain  my  exchange 
as  soon  as  possible." 

"It  is  very  unfortunate,"  the  governor  said,  "especially 
as  these  exchanges  are  of  rare  occurrence.  A  few  officers 
may  be  taken  prisoners  on  each  side  in  the  skirmishes,  but 
the  numbers  are  too  small  to  make  the  loss  of  any  impor- 
tance either  to  Russia  or  Sweden,  and  it  is  months  since 
either  have  taken  any  steps  to  bring  about  exchanges.  I 
myself  have  no  influence.     My  appointment  here  is  a  sort 


AN   OLD   ACQUAESTTANCE  275 

of  punishment  for  having  offended  the  czar  by  not  having 
brought  up  my  regiment  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  fight 
when  you  attacked  us  at  Narva.  I  saved  the  regiment,  but 
that  was  not  regarded  as  any  excuse  for  having  been  three 
days  longer  on  the  march  than  the  czar  expected;  so  I  was 
sent  here  as  a  sort  of  dismissal  from  active  service.  You 
know  no  one  else  who  could  move  in  your  matter?  " 

"No  one;  the  governor  of  the  castle  at  Plescow  was  a 
surly  fellow,  and  was  reprimanded  by  the  czar,  at  least  so 
I  heard,  for  not  having  treated  me  sufficiently  well.  I 
was  only  three  or  four  days  there,  and  the  only  officer  I  saw 
besides  Dr.  Kelly  was  a  friend  of  his,  another  doctor.  He 
was  at  the  table  when  I  dined  with  Kelly.  He  seemed  to 
me  to  be  a  fine  fellow,  and,  by  the  by,  he  did  say  jokingly 
that  if  I  was  ever  made  prisoner  again  I  was  to  ask  for 
him,  and  that  he  would  do  anything  he  could  for  me." 

"What  was  his  name?  "  the  governor  asked. 

"Peter  Michaeloff.  Do  you  know  him?"  he  added  as 
he  saw  a  look  of  surprise  in  the  governor's  face. 

"I  know  one  of  that  name,"  the  governor  said  doubt- 
fully, "I  don't  know  that  he  is  a  doctor;  though  he  may 
be,  for  he  knows  something  of  many  things." 

"Oh,  he  was  a  doctor,"  Charlie  said  confidently*  "I 
know  Kelly  said  he  could  take  off  a  limb  as  well  as  he 
could  do  it  himself." 

"What  sort  of  man  was  he?  " 

"  He  was  a  tall  strong  man  with  black  hair  and  gray  eyes. 
He  has  rather  a  positive  way  of  talking,  and  seemed  tc 
have  very  strong  opinions  about  things.  He  looked  good- 
tempered,  but  I  should  say  that  he  could  be  passionate 
enough  if  he  were  put  out." 

"That  might  be  the  Peter  Michaeloff  I  know,"  the  gov- 
ernor said.  "  You  are  sure  he  said  that  you  were  to  ask 
for  him  if  you  were  a  second  time  taken  prisoner?" 

"I  am  quite  certain  he  said  so,  though  I  don't  know 


276  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

whether  the  promise  meant  much.  But  he  certainly  spoke 
as  if  he  thought  he  might  be  able  to  help  me,  and  though 
it  did  not  seem  likely  that  I  could  have  such  bad  luck 
twice,  I  think  he  meant  at  the  time  what  he  said,  and  I 
should  think  he  was  the  sort  of  man  who  would  keep  his 
word." 

"I  will  make  some  inquiries,"  the  governor  said,  "and 
find  out  if  I  can  where  he  is  at  present.  Yes,  I  should 
think  that  he  would  be  able  to  assist  you  if  he  chose  to 
interest  himself  in  the  matter." 

Ten  days  later  the  governor  came  into  Charlie's  room. 

"An  officer  has  arrived  with  an  order  for  your  removal," 
he  said.     "You  are  to  be  taken  up  again  to  Notteburg." 

"I  am  very  sorry,"  Charlie  said;  "I  have  been  very 
comfortable  here.  You  have  been  very  kind  to  me,  and  I 
feel  sure  the  change  will  not  be  for  the  better;  besides, 
we  are  nearly  into  September  now,  and  in  that  marshy 
country  round  the  lake  and  river  the  winter  will  be  even 
more  severe  than  it  is  here.  The  only  thing  I  can  think 
of  is  that  the  Swedes  at  Vyburg  may  have  taken  a  Russian 
captain  prisoner,  and  that  they  are  going  to  exchange 
us." 

The  governor  shook  his  head.  "  There  are  no  longer  any 
Swedes  at  Vyburg,  all  Ingria  is  in  our  hands  and  the  Swedes 
have  retired  into  Finland.  It  may  be  that  it  is  the  work 
of  your  friend.  I  sent  a  message  to  Peter  Michaeloff, 
should  he  be  found  in  that  neighbourhood,  by  an  officer 
who  was  going  there,  telling  him  that  you  were  here,  and 
that  having  met  him  when  a  prisoner  at  Plescow  you  relied 
on  his  good  offices.  Should  the  officer  have  found  him 
there,  and  have  given  him  my  message,  he  may  probably 
have  begged  the  field-marshal  to  order  you  to  be  taken  to 
the  prison  there,  where  he  could  be  near  you  and  visit  you 
sometimes." 

"  Your  doctors  must  have  a  good  deal  more  influence  in 


AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE  277 

your  army  than  they  have  among   the   Swedes,"   Charlie 
remarked,  "if  that  is  how  it  has  come  about." 

"It  would  be  a  matter  of  favour,"  the  governor  said. 
"  If  Michaeloff  is  acquainted  with  the  field-marshal,  or  had 
attended  him  when  unwell,  he  could  ask  a  little  favour  of 
that  sort.  If  the  field-marshal  sent  you  here  he  could 
send  for  you  again  without  more  trouble  than  signing  his 
name  to  the  order." 

"Well,  if  it  is  Michaeloff  who  has  done  this,"  Charlie 
grumbled;  "no  doubt  he  meant  it  kindly,  but  I  would 
much  rather  that  he  left  me  here.  A  ride  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  August  is  not  pleasant  to  begin  with, 
and  the  thought  of  winter  in  those  swamps  is  enough  to 
make  one  shiver." 

"With  a  comfortable  room  and  a  warm  stove  you  will 
not  find  much  to  complain  of.  Captain  Carstairs,"  the 
governor  said  with  a  smile;  "and  no  doubt  Michaeloff 
may  be  enabled  to  obtain  leave  for  you  to  go  out  with 
him  on  parole.  I  was  about  myself  to  ask  you,  now  that 
you  are  strong  and  well  again,  whether  you  would  like  to 
give  your  parole,  and  offer  you  the  use  of  my  horse  for  a 
ride  when  inclined  for  it." 

"Thank  you,  governor;  if  Michaeloff  can  do  that  it  will 
certainly  be  a  boon,  but  I  am  not  disposed  to  agree  that  the 
change  can  be  his  work.  In  the  first  place,  we  don't  know 
that  he  is  there;  in  the  second,  I  can  hardly  think  that  he 
could  have  managed  it;  and  most  of  all,  I  do  not  see  he 
could  possibly  have  had  a  hand  in  the  matter,  for  even  sup- 
posing the  of^cer  had  found  him  directly  he  arrived  and 
then  given  him  the  message,  and  he  had  acted  upon  it  at 
once,  there  would  have  been  no  time  for  the  order  to  get 
here.  It  would  have  needed  a  messenger  riding  night  and 
day  with  frequent  relays  of  horses  to  have  got  to  Notteburg 
and  back  since  the  day  I  spoke  to  you  about  the  matter. 
When  am  I  to  start?" 


278  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"  As  soon  as  you  have  eaten  your  breakfast.  The  order 
says  *send  at  once,'  and  field-marshals  expect  their  orders 
to  be  attended  to  promptly." 

On  descending  to  the  courtyard  after  breakfast,  Charlie 
was  surprised  to  see  that  instead  of  a  horse  as  he  had 
expected,  a  well-appointed  carriage  with  an  ample  supply 
of  rugs  was  standing  there.  The  governor  was  there  to  see 
him  off. 

"Well,  sir,"  Charlie  said,  "if  this  is  the  way  in  which 
you  convey  prisoners  from,  one  place  to  another  in  Russia, 
I  shall  certainly  be  able  when  I  meet  King  Charles  to  report 
to  him  most  favourably  as  to  the  treatment  of  his  of^cers 
who  have  fallen  into  the  czar's  hands.  This  will  make  the 
journey  a  very  much  more  pleasant  one  than  I  had 
expected." 

"I  am  glad  you  are  pleased,"  the  governor  said,  "and 
that  you  have  no  unpleasant  recollection  of  your  stay  here." 

A  minute  later  the  carriage  dashed  out  through  the  gate 
of  the  prison.  An  officer  was  seated  by  Charlie's  side,  two 
Cossacks  galloping  in  front,  while  two  others  rode  behind. 

"It  was  worth  making  the  change  if  only  for  this  drive," 
Charlie  thought  cheerfully  as  the  dust  flew  up  in  a  cloud 
before  the  horses'  hoofs,  and  he  felt  a  sense  of  exhilaration 
from  the  keen  air  that  blew  in  his  face.  The  journey  was 
performed  with  great  rapidity.  One  of  the  Cossacks  gal- 
loped ahead  as  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the  station,  where 
they  changed  horses  and  had  fresh  ones  in  readiness  at  the 
next  post-house.  The  Cossacks  themselves  were  changed 
at  every  other  station,  fresh  relays  from  the  men  stationed 
there  taking  their  place.  Excellent  meals  were  served  three 
times  a  day,  and  each  night  a  comfortable  bed  was  provided 
at  the  last  post-house  where  they  stopped.  The  officer  was 
a  pleasant  fellow,  but  he  spoke  nothing  except  Russian, 
and  although  Charlie  fancied  he  understood  him  to  some 
extent  when  he  spoke  to  him  in  Polish,  he  shook  his  head 
and  gave  no  answers  in  that  language. 


AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE  279 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  third  day  they  arrived  at 
Notteburg.  The  building  at  which  the  carriage  stopped 
was  of  considerable  size,  it  stood  in  the  heart  of  the  town, 
and  had  no  outward  appearance  of  a  prison.  It  was  appar- 
ently at  a  side  entrance  at  which  they  stopped.  On  the 
officer  knocking  at  the  door,  it  was  opened  by  two  Cossacks, 
who,  after  exchanging  a  few  words  in  Russian  with  the 
officer,  led  Charlie  along  a  passage  and  up  a  narrow  stair- 
case, which  led  into  a  somewhat  spacious  corridor.  They 
opened  a  door,  and  he  found  himself  in  a  comfortable 
room.  A  table  laid  for  dinner  with  handsome  silver  and 
appointments  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  which  was 
carpeted  with  tartar  rugs.  One  of  the  Cossacks  opened  an 
inner  door,  which  led  into  a  bed-room  snugly  furnished. 

"It  must  be  the  doctor  after  all,"  Charlie  murmured  to 
himself  in  great  surprise.  "  I  see  now  that  there  was  plenty 
of  time  for  a  letter  to  come  up  here  and  have  gone  back 
again,  and  I  suppose  the  good  fellow  has  got  leave  for  me 
to  stay  for  a  night  in  his  quarters  before  I  am  handed  over 
to  the  prison.  Well,  for  the  last  three  days  I  have  travelled 
like  a  prince,  and  this  is  the  closing  act  of  it." 

He  enjoyed  a  good  wash,  then  returned  to  the  other  room, 
and  sat  down  in  a  comfortable  chair  to  wait  for  his  host. 
He  was  on  the  point  of  dozing  off  when  the  door  opened 
and  Peter  Michaeloff  entered.      Charlie  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"Well,  Captain  Carstairs, "  the  Russian  said,  holding  out 
his  hand,  "so  it  seems  you  had  bad  luck  again.  You  must 
have  quite  an  affection  for  our  prisons." 

"I  shall  have  at  least  a  pleasant  remembrance  of  the 
kindness  shown  to  me  as  a  prisoner,"  Charlie  said;  "and  I 
am  sure  it  is  you  that  I  have  to  thank  for  my  transfer  here 
and  for  the  pleasant  journey  I  have  had.  I  could  not  have 
travelled  more  comfortably  if  I  had  been  a  Russian 
grandee." 

"Well,  I  am  glad  to  meet  you  again,"  the  doctor  said 


280  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

heartily.  "  Let  me  see,  it  is  some  twenty  months  since  we 
supped  together  last  at  Kelly's  quarters.  Poor  fellow!  I 
shall  miss  him  greatly.     You  have  heard  of  his  death?  " 

"  The  governor  of  Bercov  told  me  of  it  a  fortnight  ago. 
I  was  indeed  sorry  to  hear  it.  I  shall  never  forget  his 
kindness  to  me." 

"Yes,  he  was  a  good  man,  skilful  in  his  profession,  and 
full  of  zeal  and  energy.  The  blood  runs  faster  somehow  in 
the  veins  of  you  islanders  than  of  us  sluggish  Muscovites. 
If  we  could  but  at  one  sweep  banish  every  Russian  official 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  and  fill  their  places  with  men 
from  your  islands,  what  progress  we  should  make,  what  work 
could  we  get  done,  what  reforms  could  be  carried  out! 
However,  at  present,"  he  went  on  changing  the  subject 
abruptly,  "  the  point  is  supper.  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  bear, 
for  I  have  been  at  work  since  daylight,  and  have  eaten 
nothing  since  I  broke  my  fast." 

He  rang  a  hand-bell  placed  on  the  table;  two  Cossacks 
entered  bearing  dishes,  and  the  doctor  and  his  guest  at  once 
fell  to  on  the  supper,  which  was  excellent. 

"Hard  work' deserves  good  food,"  the  Russian  said  in 
reply  to  a  remark  of  Charlie's  as  to  the  excellence  both  of 
the  food  and  wine.  "Your  Charles  does  not  think  so, 
I  hear,  and  lives  on  the  roughest  of  food.  What  will  be  the 
consequence?  He  will  wear  himself  out;  his  restless  activ- 
ity will  exhaust  his  powers  and  weaken  his  judgment.  I 
can  eat  rough  food  if  I  can  get  no  better,  but  I  take  the 
best  when  opportunity  offers.  What  have  you  been  doing 
ever  since  you  left  Plescow?  I  inquired  after  you  the  other 
day  when  our  troops  broke  up  Schlippenbach's  force  on  the 
Embach ;  I  found  you  were  not  among  the  prisoners,  and  I 
wondered  if  you  were  among  the  killed." 

"I  was  not  in  Livonia  at  the  time,  I  was  with  the  king's 
army  at  Warsaw.  Three  regiments  were  sent  off  the  day 
after  the  battle  of  Clissow  by  boats  down  the  Vistula,  and 


AN   OLD   ACQUAiKTANCE  281 

then  by  ship  to  Revel;  mine  was  one  of  them,  but  we 
arrived  a  fortnight  too  late." 

"Then  you  were  present  at  Charles'  third  victory?  How 
that  young  fellow  handles  his  troops,  and  what  wonderful 
troops  they  are  I  Now  we  will  get  into  our  easy  chairs 
again,  and  you  shall  tell  me  something  about  what  you  have 
been  doing  since  we  last  met." 

Charlie  gave  a  sketch  of  his  adventures. 

"  So  you  fought  at  the  Dwina  too  ?  You  have  had  luck 
in  going  through  three  battles  without  a  wound." 

When  Charlie  stated  that  he  had  gone  to  Warsaw  on  a 
private  mission,  whose  nature  was  immaterial  to  the  story, 
the  doctor  broke  in — "You  need  not  tell  me  what  it  was,  it 
was  of  course  something  to  do  with  Augustus.  The  way 
Charles  is  hunting  down  that  unfortunate  king  is  shocking, 
it  is  downright  malignity.  Why,  he  has  wasted  fifteen 
months  over  it  already,  and  it  has  cost  him  Ingria.  He 
could  have  made  any  terms  with  Poland  he  liked  after  his 
victory  on  the  Dwina,  and  would  then  have  been  free  to  use  all 
his  forces  against  us.  As  it  is,  he  has  wasted  two  summers, 
and  is  likely  to  waste  another,  and  that  not  for  any  material 
advantage,  but  simply  to  gratify  his  hatred  against  Augustus; 
and  he  has  left  us  to  take  Ingria  almost  without  a  blow,  and 
to  gain,  what  Russia  has  wanted  for  the  last  hundred  years, 
a  foothold  on  the  Baltic.  He  may  be  a  great  general,  but 
he  is  no  politician;  no  real  statesman  would  throw  away 
solid  advantages  in  order  to  gratify  personal  pique." 

"  He  considers  x\ugustus  the  author  of  this  league  against 
him,"  Charlie  said.  "He  and  the  czar  had  no  grounds  at 
all  of  quarrel  against  him." 

"We  talked  over  that  the  last  time  we  met,"  the  doctor 
said  with  a  laugh,  "and  I  told  you  then  that  a  foothold  on 
the  Baltic  was  so  necessary  to  Russia,  that  she  would  have 
accepted  the  alliance  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness  himself  to 
get  it.     As  to  Augustus,  I  don't  defend  him;  he  was  ambi- 


282  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

tious,  as  I  suppose  most  of  us  are;  he  thought  he  saw  an 
opportunity  of  gaining  territory.  He  has  found  that  he 
has  made  a  mistake,  and  will  of  course  lose  a  province. 
But  Charles'  persecution  of  him  goes  beyond  all  bounds; 
never  before  did  a  sovereign  insist  upon  a  nation  consent- 
ing to  dethrone  its  king  at  his  dictation.  But  go  on  with 
your  story." 

He  listened  without  remark  until  Charlie  concluded. 

"I  wish  you  had  been  in  our  service,"  he  said,  "instead 
of  that  of  Sweden;  you  would  have  mounted  fast.  You 
have  all  the  requisites  for  success,  above  all,  promptitude  of 
decision  and  quickness  of  invention.  You  did  well  in  get- 
ting away  from  that  Jewish  scoundrel  in  the  hut  and  in 
killing  his  master,  but  it  was  your  adventure  with  the  wolves 
that  showed  your  quality.  That  idea  of  setting  fire  to  the 
tree  in  which  you  were  sitting,  in  order  at  once  to  warm 
yourself  and  to  frighten  away  the  wolves,  would  never  have 
occurred  to  a  Russian,  and  the  quickness  with  which  you 
formed,  with  three  logs,  a  redoubt  against  the  wolves 
showed  a  quick  military  eye,  and  the  ability  to  think  and 
act  in  a  momen^  of  danger.  Now  tell  me  how  it  was  that 
you  were  the  only  officer  captured  the  other  day." 

Charlie  briefly  related  how  he,  with  the  pikemen  of  his 
company,  had  stayed  behind  to  check  the  pursuit  of  the 
Russian  horse,  and  to  gain  time  for  the  main  body  to  lose 
themselves  in  the  darkness.  The  Russian  struck  his  fist  on 
the  arm  of  his  chair. 

"It  was  well  done,"  he  said.  "There  is  the  difference. 
A  Russian  captain  would  have  done  it  if  he  had  been 
ordered,  and  he  and  his  men  would,  without  a  question, 
have  sacrificed  themselves  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  rest, 
but  he  would  never  have  done  it  on  his  own  initiative;  the 
idea  would  never  have  struck  him ;  he  would  have  plodded 
along  until  the  enemy's  cavalry  came  up  and  annihilated 
them  all.  By  the  way,  why  did  you  not  ask  for  me  at 
once?" 


AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE  283 

"I  had  asked  for  Dr.  Kelly  the  day  after  I  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  was  told  that  he  had  gone  to  the  Volga.  I 
thought  that  he  would  be  back  before  long,  and  it  was  only 
when  I  heard  of  hi^  death  that  it  occurred  to  me  to  endeav- 
our to  find  one  who  had  kindly  promised,  after  a  few 
hours'  acquaintance  only,  to  befriend  me  should  I  ever  find 
myself  in  a  similar  scrape." 

"  It  would  have  saved  you  the  journey  down  to  Moscow. 
I  heard,  of  course,  that  a  Swedish  captain  had  been  made 
prisoner  that  night,  but  I  was  myself  at  Moscow  at  the  time, 
and  did  not  happen  to  notice  the  name  of  the  officer  taken. 
Were  you  well  treated  at  Bercov?  " 

"The  governor  there  was  most  kind,  and  all  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  prison  seem  excellent;  I  had  no  reason  what- 
ever to  complain.  The  governor  was  good  enough  to  come 
frequently  himself  to  talk  to  me.  He  is  a  fine  soldierly 
man,  and  though  he  did  not  say  much,  I  think  he  is  eating 
his  heart  out  at  being  laid  on  the  shelf  there,  instead  of 

aiding  to  fight  the  battles  of  his  country." 

The  Russian  took  out  a  pocket-book  and  made  a  note, 

then  he  rose.     "  It  is  time  for  bed,"   he  said.     "  I  am  up 

at  daybreak." 

"I  hope  I  shall  see  you  often  in  the  prison,"  Charlie 

said.     "  I  suppose  I  shall  go  in  there  to-morrow  morning. 

I  am  indebted  to  you  indeed,  for  the  very  great  kindness 

you  have  shown  me." 

"  No,  you  will  not  go  in  early.     I  have  got  leave  for  you 

for  another  day,  and  I  am  going  to  take  you  for  a  drive  in 

the  morning.     You  will  be  called  an  hour  before  sunrise. 

Take  your  breakfast  as  soon  as  you  are  dressed,  do  not  wait 

for  me ;  I  have  work  to  do  before  I  start,  and  shall  breakfast 

elsewhere." 

As  soon  as  Charlie  had  breakfasted  the  next  morning  a 
Cossack  told  him  that  the  carriage  was  below,  and  he  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  door  where  he  had  entered  on  the  previ- 


284  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

ous  evening.  The  carriage  was  a  simple  one,  but  the  three 
horses  harnessed  abreast  to  it  were  magnificent  animals. 
Charlie  stood  admiring  them  for  some  little  time. 

"I  should  think,"  he  said  to  himself,  "the  doctor  must 
be  a  man  of  large  property,  and  most  likely  of  noble  family, 
who  has  taken  up  his  profession  from  pure  love  of  it.  He 
is  evidently  full  of  energy,  and  has  an  intense  desire  to  see 
Russia  greater  and  higher  in  the  rank  of  nations.  I  sup- 
pose that,  like  Kelly,  he  is  one  of  the  principal  medical 
officers  in  the  army.  Certainly  he  must  be  a  man  of  con- 
siderable influence  to  obtain  my  transfer  here  so  easily,  and 
to  see  that  I  travelled  so  comfortably.  I  wonder  where  he 
is  going  to  take  me  this  morning." 

Four  or  five  minutes  later  Charlie's  friend  appeared  at 
the  door.  He  was  evidently  out  of  temper.  He  sprung 
hastily  into  the  vehicle,  as  if  he  had  altogether  forgotten 
that  he  had  asked  Charlie  to  accompany  him.  Then,  as 
his  eye  fell  on  him,  he  nodded  and  said  briefly,  "Jump 
in."  A  little  surprised  at  the  unceremonious  address, 
Charlie  sprang  into  the  seat  beside  him  without  hesitation, 
seeing  that  his  companion  was  evidently  so  much  out  of 
temper  that  he  was  not  thinking  of  what  he  was  doing  at 
the  moment.  The  coachman  cracked  his  whip,  and  the 
spirited  horses  went  off  at  a  rate  of  speed  that  threatened 
danger  to  persons  traversing  the  narrow  streets  of  the  town. 
The  cracking  of  the  coachman's  whip,  and  an  occasional 
loud  shout  and  the  jangling  of  the  bells,  gave,  however, 
sufficient  warning  of  their  approach. 

Charlie  smiled  at  the  alacrity  with  which  every  one  sprang 
out  of  the  way,  and  either  leapt  into  doorways  or  squeezed 
themselves  against  the  wall.  He  was  surprised,  however, 
to  see  that  not  only  did  the  townspeople  show  no  resent- 
ment at  the  reckless  pace  at  which  the  carriage  was  driven, 
but  that  the  soldiers,  officers  as  well  as  men,  cleared  out  as 
quickly,  and  without  any  expression  of  indignation  or  anger. 


AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE 


285 


Indeed,  most  of  them,  as  soon  as  they  gained  a  place  of 
safety,  saluted  his  companion.  "These  Russians  have  evi- 
dently a  higher  respect  for  their  doctors  than  have  the 
Swedes,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  am  sure  that  not  even  the 
chief  surgeon  of  the  army  would  be  treated  with  anything 
like  the  same  respect,  and  indeed  no  one  would  recognize 
him  at  all  if  he  were  not  in  uniform." 

The  doctor  seemed  to  pay  no  attention  to  what  was  pass- 
ing round  him,  but  was  muttering  angrily  to  himself.  It 
was  not  until  they  dashed  out  into  the  open  country  that  he 
seemed  to  remember  Charlie's  presence  at  his  side. 

"  These  people  are  enough  to  vex  one  of  the  saints  by 
their  stupidity,"  he  said.  "Unless  they  have  some  one 
standing  behind  them  with  a  whip,  they  cannot  be  trusted 
to  do  what  they  are  told.  It  is  not  that  they  are  not  will- 
ing, but  that  they  are  stupid.  No  one  would  believe  that 
people  could  be  so  stupid;  they  drive  me  well-nigh  to  mad- 
ness sometimes,  and  it  is  the  more  irritating  because  against 
stupidity  one  is  powerless.  Beating  a  man  or  knocking  him 
down  may  do  him  good  if  he  is  obstinate  or  if  he  is  care- 
less, but  when  he  is  simply  stupid  it  only  makes  him  more 
stupid  than  before;  you  might  as  well  batter  a  stone  wall. 
You  slept  well  and  breakfasted  well.  Captain  Carstairs?  " 
"  Excellently  well,  thank  you.     What  superb  horses  you 

have,  doctor." 

"Yes;  I  like  travelling  fast.  Life  is  too  short  to  throw 
away  tiiiie  in  travelling.  A  busy  man  should  always  keep 
good  horses." 

"If  he  can  afford  to  do  so,"  Charlie  said  with  a  laugh. 
"I  should  say  that  every  one,  busy  or  not,  would  like  to  sit 
behind  such  horses  as  these,  and,  as  you  say,  it  would  save 
a  good  deal  of  time  to  one  who  travelled  much.  But  three 
such  horses  as  these  would  only  be  in  the  reach  of  one  with 
a  verv  long  purse." 

"They  were  bred  here.     Their  sire  was   one  of   three 


286  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

given  by  the  king  of  England  to  the  czar;  the  dams  were 
from  the  imperial  stables  at  Vienna.  So  they  ought  to  be 
good." 

Charlie  guessed  that  the  team  must  have  been  a  present 
from  the  czar,  and  remembering  what  Dr.  Kelly  had  said 
of  the  czar's  personal  communications  with  him,  he  thought 
that  the  ruler  of  Russia  must  have  a  particular  liking  for 
doctors,  and  that  the  medical  profession  must  be  a  more 
honoured  and  profitable  one  in  Russia  than  elsewhere. 
After  driving  with  great  rapidity  for  upwards  of  an  hour 
along  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  Charlie  saw  a  great  number 
of  people  at  work  on  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river 
some  distance  ahead,  and  soon  afterwards,  to  his  surprise, 
observed  a  multitude  on  the  flat,  low  ground  ahead. 

"This  is  what  I  have  brought  you  to  see,"  his  companion 
said.     "Do  you  know  what  they  are  doing?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  they  are  building  a  fortress  on  that 
island." 

"You  are  right.  We  have  got  a  footing  on  the  sea,  and 
we  are  going  to  keep  it.  While  Charles  of  Sweden  is  fool- 
ing away  his  time  in  Poland  in  order  to  gratify  his  spite 
against  Augustus  we  are  strengthening  ourselves  here,  and 
never  again  will  Sweden  wrest  Ingria  from  our  hands." 

"It  is  marvellous  how  much  has  been  done  already," 
Charlie  said  as  he  looked  at  the  crowd  of  workmen. 

"Everything  was  prepared,"  his  companion  said. 
"While  the  army  was  invading  Livonia  and  driving  the 
remnant  of  the  Swedes  into  Revel,  thousands  of  carts  laden 
with  piles  of  wood,  stone,  and  cement  were  moving  towards 
Ingria.  Tens  of  thousands  of  workmen  and  peasants  were 
in  motion  from  every  part  of  Russia  towards  this  point,  and 
the  day  after  Notteburg  surrendered  they  began  their  work 
here.  It  was  the  opportunity  in  the  lifetime  of  a  nation, 
and  we  have  seized  it.  The  engineers  who  had  in  disguise 
examined  it  months  ago  had  reported  that  the  island  was 


AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE  287 


covered  at  high  tides,  and  was  unfit  to  bear  the  foundations 
of  even  the  slightest  buildings.  Piles  are  being  driven 
in  as  close  as  they  will  stand  over  every  foot  of  ground  m 
it  Over  this  a  coating  of  concrete  many  feet  thick  will 
be  laid,  and  on  this  the  fortress,  which  is  to  be  the  centre 
and  heart  of  Russia,  will  rise.  In  the  fort  will  stand  a  pile 
which  will  be  the  tomb  of  the  future  czars  of  Russia,  and 
there  in  front  of  us,  where  you  see  fifty  thousand  peasants 
at  work,  shall  be  the  future  capital  of  the  empire." 

"But  it  is  a  swamp,"  Charlie  said  in  astonishment,  alike 
at  the  vastness  of  the  scheme  and  the  energy  with  which 
it  was  being  prosecuted. 

"Nature  has  made  it  a  swamp,"  his  companion  said 
calmly,  "but  man  is  stronger  than  nature.  The  river  will 
be  embanked,  the  morass  drained,  and  piles  driven  every- 
where, as  has  been  done  in  the  island,  and  the  capital  will 
rise  here.  The  fort  has  already  been  named  the  Fortress 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  The  capital  will  be  named  alike 
after  the  patron  saint  and  its  founder— Petersburg." 

They  had  now  reached  the  spot.  The  carriage  stopped 
and  they  alighted.  Charlie  saw  with  astonishment  that 
a  wide  deep  cut  had  been  driven  between  the  road  and  the 
river  in  a  straight  line.  Looking  down  into  it  he  saw  that 
it  was  paved  with  the  heads  of  piles,  and  that  carts  were 
already  emptying  loads  of  concrete  down  upon  it. 

"  Every  bag  of  cement,  every  stone  that  you  see,  has 
been  brought  from  a  great  distance,"  his  companion  said. 
"There  is  not  a  stone  to  be  had  within  fifty  miles  of  this 
spot.  The  work  would  seem  well-nigh  impossible,  but  it 
is  the  work  of  a  nation.  In  another  month  there  will  be 
a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  peasants  at  work  here,  and 
well-nigh  as  many  carts  bringing  materials  for  the  work 
and  provisions  for  the  workers." 

"  It  is  stupendous !     But  it  will  take  years  to  complete, 
^nd  it  will  surely  be  terribly  unhealthy  here?  " 


288  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"I  calculate  the  work  will  occupy  ten  years,  and  will 
cost  a  hundred  thousand,  may  be  two  hundred  thousand 
lives,"  the  other  said  calmly;  "but  what  is  that  to  the  mak- 
ing of  a  nation?  Before,  Russia  was  stifled,  she  could  not 
grow;  now  we  have  a  communication  with  the  world.  The 
island  that  lies  at  the  mouth  of  the  Neva  will  be  fortified 
and  become  a  great  naval  arsenal  and  fort.  Along  the 
walls  which  will  rise  here  will  be  unloaded  the  merchandise 
of  Europe,  and  in  exchange  the  ships  will  carry  away  our 
products.  Some  day  we  shall  have  another  port  on  the 
south,  but  for  the  present  this  must  suffice.  You  will  say 
that  this  is  dangerously  near  our  frontier,  but  that  will  soon 
be  remedied.  As  we  have  pushed  the  Swedes  out  of  Ingria, 
so  in  tiTne  shall  we  drive  them  from  Livonia  on  the  west 
and  from  Finland  on  the  north.  But  I  must  to  work." 
And  he  motioned  to  a  group  of  five  or  six  officers,  who  had 
been  standing  a  short  distance  away,  to  approach  him. 

Charlie  was  struck  with  the  air  of  humility  with  which 
they  saluted  his  companion,  who  at  once  asked  a  number 
of  questions  as  to  the  supplies  that  had  arrived,  the  progress 
that  had  been  made  at  a  point  where  they  had  met  with  a 
deep  slough  into  which  the  piles  had  penetrated  without 
meeting  with  any  firm  ground,  the  number  of  huts  that  had 
been  erected  during  the  past  three  days  for  the  reception 
of  labourers,  the  state  of  stocks  of  meat  and  flour,  and 
other  particulars.  To  each  he  gave  short,  sharp  orders. 
When  they  had  left  he  turned  to  Charlie. 

"You  guess  who  I  am,  I  suppose?  " 

"I  guess  now,  your  majesty,"  Charlie  said  respectfully, 
"but  until  now  the  idea  that  my  kind  friend  was  the  czar 
himself  never  entered  my  mind.  I  understood  from  Dr. 
Kelly  that  you  were  a  surgeon." 

"I  don't  think  he  said  so,"  the  czar  replied.  "He 
simply  said  that  I  could  perform  an  amputation  as  well  as 
he  could,  which  was  not  quite  true.     But  I  studied  surgery 


AN    OLD   ACQUAINTANCE  289 

for  a  time  in  Holland,  and  performed  several  operations 
under  the  eyes  of  the  surgeons  there.  I  saw  that  you  did 
not  recognize  my  name.  It  is  known  to  every  Russian, 
but  doubtless  you  never  heard  of  me  save  as  Peter  the  Czar. 
Directly  you  mentioned  it  to  the  commandant  at  Bercov 
and  described  my  appearance  he  knew  who  it  was  you  were 
speaking  of,  and  despatched  a  messenger  at  once  to  me. 
He  will  be  here  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  so.  Upon  your 
report  of  the  state  of  the  prison,  I  at  once  despatched  an 
order  for  him  to  hand  over  his  command  to  the  officer  next 
in  rank  and  to  proceed  hither  at  once.  He  is  evidently  a 
good  administrator,  and  heaven  knows  I  have  need  of  such 
men  here.  I  was  pleased  with  you  when  I  saw  you  with 
my  friend  Dr.  Kelly.  It  was  pleasant  not  to  be  known  and 
hear  a  frank  opinion  such  as  you  gave  me,  and  as  you 
know,  I  sent  you  back  on  the  following  morning.  I  cer- 
tainly told  Kelly  at  the  time  not  to  mention  who  I  was,  but 
I  did  not  intend  that  he  should  keep  you  in  ignorance  of 
it  after  I  had  left,  and  it  was  not  until  I  heard  from  your 
jailer  at  Bercov  that  you  were  ignorant  that  Peter  Michaeloff 
was  the  czar,  that  I  knew  that  he  had  kept  you  in  igno- 
rance of  it  until  the  end.  I  should  have  liked  to  have  kept 
you  as  my  guest  for  a  time,  but  winter  comes  on  early  and 
suddenly,  and  if  you  did  not  go  now  you  might  be  detained 
here  until  the  spring.  I  have  therefore  given  orders  that 
one  of  the  Swedish  vessels  we  captured  on  the  lake  should 
be  got  in  readiness  and  its  crew  placed  on  board  again. 
You  shall  embark  in  an  hour,  and  it  shall  carry  you  to  any 
port  in  Sweden  you  may  choose.  The  wind  is  from  the 
east,  and  you  have  every  chance  of  a  quick  run  thither." 

Charlie  expressed  his  warm  thanks  to  the  czar  for  his 
thoughtful  kindness. 

"I  have  much  to  do  now,"  the  czar  said,  "and  must 
hand  you  over  to  the  care  of  one  of  my  officers.  He  will 
accompany  you  in  my  carriage  to  the  spot  where  the  vessel 


290  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

is  lying,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  will  there  see  you 
on  board.  Should  the  fortune  of  war  again  throw  you  into 
our  hands,  do  not  lose  an  hour  in  sending  a  message  to 
Peter  Michaeloff." 

So  saying,  the  czar  shook  hands  with  Charlie,  beckoned 
an  officer  to  him  and  gave  him  instructions,  and  then 
moved  away  among  the  workmen,  while  Charlie  with  his 
conductor  took  their  places  in  the  vehicle  and  drove 
rapidly  off.  An  hour  later  he  was  on  board  the  Swedish 
vessel,  whose  master  and  crew  were  delighted  at  their 
sudden  and  unlooked  for  release.  The  former  was  over- 
joyed, for  the  vessel  was  his  own  property. 

"You  will  find  your  things  in  your  cabin,  sir,"  he  said. 
"They  were  sent  on  board  this  morning,  together  with 
food  and  wine  sufficient  for  a  month's  voyage,  whereas 
with  this  wind  we  ought  not  to  be  more  than  four  days. 
At  which  port  will  you  land?  " 

"  I  would  rather  go  to  Gottenburg,  captain,  though  it  is 
farther  for  you  than  Stockholm. " 

"  It  shall  be  Gottenburg,  sir.  It  is,  thanks  to  you,  that 
I  have  got  my  liberty  and  my  ship,  and  a  day  or  two  can 
make  no  difference  to  me." 

Charlie,  indeed,  had  thought  the  matter  over  as  he  drove 
along.  He  would  not  be  able  to  rejoin  the  army  until  it 
had  gone  into  winter  quarters,  and  therefore  decided  that 
he  would  go  to  Gottenburg,  apply  for  six  months'  leave, 
and  spend  the  winter  with  his  father.  Somewhat  puzzled 
at  the  mention  of  his  things  having  gone  on  board,  he 
went  into  the  cabin,  and  found  there  a  handsome  pelisse 
trimmed  with  costly  furs,  two  robes  composed  of  valuable 
skins,  and  a  change  of  clothes.  The  wind  held  fair,  blow- 
ing strongly,  and  four  days  later  he  arrived  at  Gottenburg. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

IN   ENGL.\XD    AGAIN 

CHARLIE  was  received  with  delight  by  his  father,  whom 
he  had  not  seen  since  the  spring  of  the  previous  year. 

"Then  you , got  my  letter,  Charlie?"  Sir  Marmaduke 
asked  when  the  first  greetings  were  over;  "and  yet  I  do 
not  see  how  you  could  have  done  so.  It  is  little  over  a 
fortnight  since  I  wrote,  and  I  had  not  looked  for  you  for 
another  month  yet." 

"  I  have  certainly  received  no  letter,  father.  A  fortnight 
ago  I  was  in  a  Russian  prison,  and  my  arrival  here  in  so 
short  a  time  seems  to  me  almost  miraculous;  "  and  he  then 
briefly  related  his  singular  experiences. 

"Now  about  the  letter,  father,"  he  said  as  he  concluded. 
"  I  suppose  you  must  have  written  to  ask  me  to  get  leave 
for  a  time,  as  it  seems  that  you  were  expecting  me  shortly. 
I  suppose  you  felt  that  you  would  like  me  with  you  for  a 
time." 

"  So  I  should,  lad,  of  that  you  may  be  sure,  but  I  should 
not  have  called  you  away  for  that.  No,  I  had  this  letter 
the  other  day  from  old  Banks.  You  know  he  writes  to  me 
once  a  year.  His  letters  have  been  only  gossip  so  far,  for 
you  know  my  precious  cousin  kicked  him  out  of  the  house 
as  soon  as  he  took  possession;  but  this  is  a  different 
matter.     Read  it  for  yourself." 

291 


292  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

Charlie  took  the  letter,  and  with  some  trouble  spelt 
through  the  crabbed  handwriting. 

It  began :  "  Honoured  sir  and  master,  I  hope  that  this 
finds  you  and  Captain  Charles  both  well  in  health.  I  have 
been  laid  up  with  rhematis  in  the  bones,  having  less  com- 
fort in  my  lodgings  than  I  used  to  have  at  Lynnwood.  Your 
honour  will  have  heard  that  King  William  has  fallen  from 
his  horse  and  broken  his  collar-bone  and  died.  May  the 
Lord  forgive  him  for  taking  the  place  of  better  men.  Anne 
has  come  to  the  throne,  and  there  were  some  hopes  that 
she  would,  of  herself,  step  aside  and  let  him  to  whom  the 
throne  rightly  belongs  come  to  it.  Such,  however,  has  not 
been  the  case,  and  those  who  know  best  think  that  things 
are  no  forwarder  for  William's  death,  rather  indeed  the 
reverse,  since  the  Princess  Anne  is  better  liked  by  the 
people  than  was  her  sister's  husband.  There  is  no  sure 
news  from  Lynnwood.  None  of  the  old  servants  are  there; 
and  I  have  no  one  from  whom  I  can  learn  anything  for  cer- 
tain. Things,  however,  are,  I  hear,  much  worse  since 
young  Mr.  Dormay  was  killed  in  the  duel  in  London,  of 
which  I  told  you  in  my  last  letter. 

"  Dame  Celia  and  Mistress  Ciceley  go  but  seldom  abroad, 
and  when  seen  they  smile  but  little,  but  seem  sad  and 
downcast.  The  usurper  has  but  small  dealing  with  any  of 
the  gentry.  There  are  always  men  staying  there,  fellows 
of  a  kind  with  whom  no  gentleman  would  consort,  and  they 
say  there  is  much  drinking  and  wild  going  on.  As  Cap- 
tain Charles  specially  bade  me,  I  have  done  all  that  I 
could  to  gather  news  of  Nicholson.  Till  of  late  I  have 
heard  nothing  of  him.  He  disappeared  altogether  from 
these  parts  just  after  your  honour  went  away.  News  once 
came  here  from  one  who  knew  him,  and  who  had  gone  up 
to  London  on  a  visit  to  a  kinsman,  that  he  had  met  him 
there  dressed  up  in  a  garb  in  no  way  according  with  his 
former  position,  but  ruffling  it  at  a  tavern  frequented  by 


IN   ENGLAND   AGAIN  293 

loose  blades,  spending  his  money  freely,  and  drinking  and 
dicing  with  the  best  of  them. 

"  A  week  since  he  was  seen  down  here  in  a  very  sorry 
state,  looking  as  if  luck  had  gone  altogether  against  him. 
Benjamin  Haddock,  who  lives,  as  you  know,  close  to  the 
gate  of  Lynnwood,  told  me  that  he  saw  one  pass  along  the 
road  just  as  it  was  dusk,  whom  he  could  swear  was  that 
varlet  Nicholson.  He  went  to  the  door  and  looked  after 
him  to  make  sure,  and  saw  him  enter  the  gate.  Next  day 
Nicholson  was  in  Lancaster.  He  was  spending  money 
freely  there,  and  rode  off  on  a  good  horse,  which  looked  ill 
assorted  with  his  garments,  though  he  purchased  some  of 
better  fashion  in  the  town.  It  seemed  to  me  likely  that  he 
must  have  got  money  from  the  usurper.  I  do  not  know 
whether  your  honour  will  deem  this  news  of  importance, 
but  I  thought  it  well  to  write  to  you  at  once.  Any  further 
news  I  may  gather  I  will  send  without  fail.  Your  humble 
servant,  John  Banks." 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  this  is  of  importance,"  Charlie 
said,  when  he  had  read  the  letter  through.  "  It  is  only  by 
getting  hold  of  this  villain  that  there  is  any  chance  of  our 
obtaining  proof  of  the  foul  treachery  of  which  you  were  the 
victim.  Hitherto  we  have  had  no  clue  whatever  as  to 
where  he  was  to  be  looked  for.  Now  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  he  has  returned  to  his  haunts  in  London.  I 
understand  now,  father,  why  you  wanted  me  to  get  leave. 
You  mean  that  I  shall  undertake  this  business." 

"That  was  my  thought,  Charlie.  You  are  now  well-nigh 
twenty,  and  would  scarce  be  recognized  as  the  boy  who  left 
four  years  ago.  The  fellow  would  know  me  at  once,  and  I 
might  be  laid  by  the  heels  again  under  the  old  warrant; 
besides  being  charged  with  breaking  away  from  the  custody 
of  the  soldiers.  Besides,  in  this  business  youth  and  strength 
and  vigour  are  requisite.  I  would  gladly  take  the  matter 
in  my  own  hands,  but  methinks  you  would  have  a  better 


294  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

chance  of  bringing  it  to  a  favourable  issue.  Now  that  Anne 
is  on  the  throne,  she  and  her  advisers  will  look  leniently 
upon  the  men  whose  only  fault  was  devotion  to  her  father; 
and  if  we  can  once  get  this  foul  charge  of  assassination 
lifted  from  our  shoulders,  I  and  Jervoise  and  the  others 
who  had  to  fly  at  the  same  time,  may  all  be  permitted  to 
return,  and  obtain  a  reversal  of  the  decree  of  the  Act  of 
Confiscation  of  our  estates. 

"  I  have  no  friends  at  court,  but  I  know  that  Jervoise  was 
a  close  acquaintance  years  ago  of  John  Churchill,  who  is 
now  Duke  of  Marlborough,  and  they  say  high  in  favour  with 
Anne.  I  did  not  think  of  it  when  I  wrote  to  you,  but  a 
week  later  it  came  to  my  mind  that  bis  intervention  might 
be  very  useful,  and  I  took  advantage  of  an  ofificer  leaving 
here  for  the  army  to  send  by  him  a  letter  to  Jervoise,  telling 
him  that  there  was  now  some  hope  of  getting  at  the  traitor 
who  served  as  John  Dormay's  instrument  in  his  plot 
against  us.  I  said  that  I  had  sent  for  you,  and  thought  it 
probable  you  would  take  the  matter  in  hand;  and  I  prayed 
him  to  send  me  a  letter  of  introduction  for  you  to  the 
duke,  so  that  if  you  could  by  any  means  obtain  the  proof 
of  our  innocence  of  this  pretended  plo't,  he  might  help  you 
to  obtain  a  reversal  of  the  Act  of  Confiscation  against  us 
all.  I  have  asked  him  to  write  at  once,  and  I  will  send  the 
letter  after  you  as  soon  as  I  get  it.  I  know  nothing  of 
London,  but  I  have  heard  of  the  Bull's  Head,  in  Fenchurch 
Street,  as  being  one  frequented  by  travellers  from  the  coun- 
try. You  had  best  put  up  there,  and  thither  I  will  forward 
the  note  from  Jervoise." 

"The  letter  will  be  a  useful  one  indeed,  father,  when  I 
have  once  wrung  the  truth  from  that  villain  Nicholson.  It 
will  be  an  expedition  after  my  own  heart.  There  is  first 
the  chance  of  punishing  the  villain,  and  then  the  hope  of 
restoring  you  to  your  place  at  dear  old  Lynnwood." 

"You   must  be  careful,  Charlie.     Remember  it  would 


*      IN   ENGLAND   AGAIN  295 

never  do  to  kill  the  rascal.  That  would  be  the  greatest  of 
misfortunes;  for,  with  his  death,  any  chance  of  unmasking 
the  greater  villain  would  disappear." 

"  I  will  be  careful,  father.  I  cannot  say  how  I  shall  set 
about  the  matter  yet,  that  must  depend  upon  circumstances; 
but  as  you  say,  above  all  things  I  must  be  careful  of  the  fel- 
low's life.     When  is  there  a  ship  sailing,  father?  " 

"The  day  after  to-morrow,  Charlie.  You  will  want  that 
time  for  getting  clothes,  suitable  to  a  young  gentleman  of 
moderate  condition  up  from  the  country  on  a  visit  to  Lon- 
don. You  must  make  up  your  mind  that  it  will  be  a  long 
search  before  you  light  on  the  fellow,  for  we  have  no  clue 
as  to  the  tavern  he  frequents.  As  a  roistering  young  squire 
wanting  to  see  London  life,  you  could  go  into  taverns  fre- 
quented by  doubtful  characters,  for  it  is  probably  in  such  a 
place  that  you  will  find  him.  However,  all  this  I  must 
leave  to  you.  You  showed  yourself  in  that  Polish  business 
well  able  to  help  yourself  out  of  a  scrape,  and  if  you  could 
do  that  among  people  of  whose  tongues  you  were  ignorant, 
you  ought  to  be  able  to  manage  on  English  soil." 

"  At  any  rate  I  will  do  my  best,  father,  of  that  you  may 
be  sure.  I  have  the  advantage  of  knowing  the  fellow,  and 
am  pretty  certain  that  he  will  not  know  me." 

"Not  he,  Charlie,"  his  father  said  confidently.  "Even 
in  the  last  tvvo  years,  since  you  were  here  with  Jervoise  and 
the  others,  you  have  changed  so  much  that  I  myself  might 
have  passed  you  in  the  street  without  knowing  you.  Now, 
you  had  better  go  off  and  see  about  your  things;  there  is  no 
time  to  be  lost.  I  have  drawn  out  a  hundred  guineas  of 
my  money,  which  will,  I  should  say,  serve  you  while  you 
are  away;  but  don't  stint  it,  lad.  Let  me  know  if  it  runs 
short  and  I  will  send  you  more." 

"I  have  money  too,  father.  I  have  four  months'  pay 
due,  besides  money  I  have  in  hand,  for  there  was  but  little 
need  for  us  to  put  our  hands  in  our  pockets." 


296  A   JACOBITE    EXILE        J 

Ten  days  later,  Charlie  arrived  in  the  Port  of  London, 
and  took  up  his  abode  at  the  Bull's  Head,  where  he  found 
the  quarters  comfortable  indeed  after  the  rough  work  of 
campaigning.  The  next  morning  he  took  a  waiter  into  his 
confidence. 

"I  have  come  to  London  to  see  a  little  life,"  he  said, 
"and  I  want  to  bS  put  into  the  way  of  doing  it.  I  don't 
want  to  go  to  places  where  young  gallants  assemble;  my 
purse  is  not  deep  enough  to  stand  such  society.  I  should 
like  to  go  to  places  where  I  shall  meet  hearty  young  fellows, 
and  could  have  a  throw  of  the  dice,  or  see  a  main  fought 
by  good  cocks,  or  even  sally  out  and  have  a  little  fun  with 
the  watch.  My  purse  is  fairly  lined,  and  I  want  some 
amusement, — something  to  look  back  upon  when  I  go 
home  again.     What  is  the  best  way  to  set  about  it?  " 

"Well,  sir,  if  that  is  your  humour,  I  have  a  brother  who 
is  one  of  the  mayor's  tipstaffs.  He  knows  the  city  well,  ay 
and  Westminster  too,  and  the  purlieus  of  St.  James's,  and 
whether  you  want  to  meet  young  gallants  or  roistering 
blades,  or  to  have  a  look  in  at  places  where  you  can  hire  a 
man  to  cut  another's  throat  for  a  few  crowns,  he  can  show 
you  them.  He  will  be  on  duty  now,  but  I  will  send  him  a 
message  to  come  round  this  evening,  and  I  warrant  me  he 
will  be  here.  He  has  showed  young  squires  from  the  coun- 
try over  the  town  before  this,  and  will  guess  what  is  on 
hand  when  he  gets  my  message." 

Having  nothing  to  do,  Charlie  sauntered  about  the  town 
during  the  day,  looking  into  the  shops,  and  keeping  a  keen 
eye  on  passers-by,  with  the  vague  hope  that  he  might  be 
lucky  enough  to  come  across  his  man. 

After  he  had  finished  his  supper,  the  waiter  came  up  and 
told  him  that  his  brother  was  outside. 

"  I  have  spoken  to  him,  sir,  and  he  warrants  that  he  can 
take  you  into  the  sort  of  society  you  want  to  meet,  whatever 
it  may  be."  Charlie  followed  him  out.  A  man  was  stand- 
ing under  the  lamp  that  swung  before  the  door. 


IN   ENGLAND   AGAIN  297 

"This  is  the  gentleman  I  was  speaking  to  you  of,  Tony." 

As  the  man  took  off  his  cap  Charlie  had  a  good  view  of 

his  face.     It  was  shrewd  and  intelligent.     "  You  understand 

what  I  want?"  he  asked,  as  the  waiter  ran  into  the  house 

again  to  attend  to  his  duties. 

"Yes,  sir;  so  far  as  I  understood  him,  yoa  wish  to  go  to 
taverns  of  somewhat  inferior  reputations,  and  to  see  some- 
thing of  that  side  of  London  life.     If  you  will  pardon  my 
boldness,  it  is  somewhat  of  a  dangerous  venture.     In  such 
places  brawls  are  frequent  and  rapiers  soon  out.     You  look 
to  me  like  one  who  could  hold  his  own  in  a  fray,"  he  added 
as  his  eye  ran  over  the  athletic  figure  before  him,  "  but  it  is 
not  always  fair  fighting.     These  fellows  hang  together,  and 
while  engaged  with  one,  half  a  dozen  might  fall  upon  you. 
As   to   your  purse,   sir,   it    is   your  own  affair.     You  will 
assuredly  lose  your  money  if  you  play  or  wager  with  them. 
But  that  is  no  concern  of  mine.     Neither,  you  may  say,  is 
your  life;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is.     One  young  gentle- 
man from  the  country,  who  wanted,  like  you,  to  see  life, 
was  killed  in  a  brawl,  and  I  have  never  forgiven  myself  for 
having  taken  him  to  the  tavern  where  he  lost  his  life.     Thus 
I  say,  that  though  willing  enough  to  earn  a  crown  or  two 
outside  my  own  work,  I  must  decline  to  take  you  to  places 
where,  as  it  seems  to  me,  you  are  likely  to  get  into  trouble." 
"You  are  an  honest  fellow,  and  I  like  you  all  the  more 
for  speaking  out  frankly  to  me,"  Charlie  said,  "and  were 
I,  as  I  told  your  brother,  thinking  of  going  to  such  places 
solely  for  amusement,  what  you  say  would  have  weight  with 
me;  but  as  I  see  that  you  are  to  be  trusted,  I  will  tell  you 
more.     I  want  to  find  a  man  who  did  me  and  mine  a  griev- 
ous ill  turn.     I  have  no  intention  of  killing  him  or  any- 
thing of  that  sort,  but  it  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to 
lay  hand  on  him.     All   I   know  of    him   is   that  he   is   a 
frequenter  of  taverns  here,  and  those  not  of  the  first  char- 
acter.    Just  at   present  he  is,  I  have  reason  to  belieye, 


298  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

provided  with  funds,  and  may  push  himself  into  places 
where  he  would  not  show  himself  when  he  is  out  of  luck. 
Still  it  is  more  likely  he  is  to  be  found  in  the  lowest  dens 
among  rascals  of  his  own  kidney.  I  may  lose  a  little 
money,  but  I  shall  do  so  with  my  eyes  open,  and  solely  to 
obtain  a  footing  at  the  places  where  I  am  most  likely  to 
meet  him." 

"That  alters  the  affair,"  the  man  said  gravely.  "It  will 
add  to  your  danger;  for  as  you  know  him,  I  suppose  he 
knows  you  also." 

"  No;  it  is  four  years  since  we  met,  and  I  have  so  greatly 
changed  in  that  time  that  I  have  no  fear  he  would  recognize 
me;  at  any  rate,  not  here  in  London,  which  is  the  last  place 
he  would  suspect  me  of  being  in." 

"That  is  better.  Well,  sir,  if  that  be  your  object,  I  will 
do  my  best  to  help  you.  What  is  the  fellow's  name  and 
description?  " 

"He  called  himself  Nicholson  when  we  last  met;  but 
like  enough  that  is  not  his  real  name,  and  if  it  is,  he  may 
be  known  by  another  here.  He  is  a  lanky  knave  of  middle 
height,  but  more  than  that,  except  that  he  has  a  shifty  look 
about  his  eyes,  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"And  his  condition,  you  say,  is  changeable?" 

"  Very  much  so,  I  should  say.  1  should  fancy  that  when 
in  funds  he  would  frequent  places  where  he  could  prey  on 
careless  young  fellows  from  the  country  like  myself.  When 
his  pockets  are  empty  I  should  say  he  would  herd  with  the 
lowest  rascals." 

"Well,  sir,  as  you  say  he  is  in  funds  at  present,  we  will 
this  evening  visit  a  tavern  or  two  frequented  by  young 
blades,  some  of  whom  have  more  money  than  wit,  and  by 
men  who  live  by  their  wits  and  nothing  else.  But  you  must 
not  be  disappointed  if  the  search  prove  a  long  one  before 
you  run  your  hare  down,  for  the  indications  you  have  given 
me  are  very  doubtful.     He  may  be  living  in  Alsatia,  hard 


IN   ENGLAND   AGAIN  299 

by  the  Temple,  which,  though  not  so  bad  as  it  used  to  be, 
is  still  an  abode  of  dangerous  rogues.  But  more  likely  you 
may  meet  him  at  the  taverns  in  Westminster  or  near 
Whitehall;  for  if  he  has  means  to  dress  himself  bravely  it  is 
there  he  will  most  readily  pick  up  gulls.  I  will,  with  your 
permission,  take  you  to  the  better  sort  to  begin  with,  and 
then  when  you  have  got  more  accustomed  to  the  ways  of 
these  places  you  can  go  to  those  a  step  lower,  where,  I  should 
think,  he  is  more  likely  to  be  found;  for  such  fellows  spend 
their  money  freely  when  they  get  it,  and  unless  they  man- 
age to  fleece  some  young  lamb  from  the  country,  they  soon 
find  themselves  unable  to  keep  pace  with  the  society  of 
places  where  play  runs  high,  and  men  call  for  their  bottles 
freely.  Besides,  in  such  places,  when  they  become  unable 
to  spend  money  freely  they  soon  get  the  cold  shoulder  from 
the  host,  who  cares  not  to  see  the  money  that  should  be 
spent  on  feasting  and  wine  diverted  into  the  pockets  of 
others.  I  shall  leave  you  at  the  door  of  these  places;  I  am 
too  well  known  to  enter.  I  put  my  hand  on  the  shoulder 
of  too  many  men  during  the  year  for  me  to  go  into  any 
society  without  the  risk  of  some  one  knowing  me  again." 

They  accordingly  made  their  way  down  to  Westminster, 
and  Charlie  visited  several  taverns.  At  each  he  called  for 
wine,  and  was  speedily  accosted  by  one  or  more  men,  who 
perceived  that  he  was  a  stranger,  and  scented  booty.  He 
stated  freely  that  he  had  just  come  up  to  town,  and  intended 
to  stay  some  short  time  there.  He  allowed  himself  to  be 
persuaded  to  enter  the  room  where  play  was  going  on,  but 
declined  to  join,  saying  that  as  yet  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
ways  of  town,  and  must  see  a  little  more  of  them  before  he 
ventured  his  money,  but  that  when  he  felt  more  at  home  he 
should  be  ready  enough  to  join  in  a  game  of  dice  or  cards, 
being  considered  a  good  hand  at  both.  After  staying  at 
each  place  about  half  an  hour  he  made  his  way  out,  getting 
rid  of  his  would-be  friends  with  some  little  difficulty,  and 
with  a  promise  that  he  would  come  again  ere  long. 


300  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

For  six  days  he  continued  his  inquiries,  going  out  every 
evening  with  his  guide,  and  taking  his  meals  for  the  most 
part  at  one  or  other  of  the  taverns,  in  hopes  that  he  might 
happen  upon  the  man  of  whom  he  was  in  search.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  had  a  great  surprise.  As  he  entered 
the  hotel  to  take  supper  the  waiter  said  to  him,  "There  is  a 
gentleman  who  has  been  asking  for  you  in  the  public  room. 
He  arrived  an  hour  ago,  and  has  hired  a  chamber." 

"Asking  for  me?"  Charlie  repeated  in  astonishment. 
"You  must  be  mistaken." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir.  He  asked  for  Mr.  Charles  Conway,  and 
that  is  the  name  you  wrote  down  in  the  hotel-book  when 
you  came." 

"  That  must  be  me,  sure  enough,  but  who  can  be  asking 
for  me  I  cannot  imagine.     However,  I  shall  soon  know." 

And  in  a  state  of  utter  bewilderment  as  to  who  could  have 
learnt  his  name  and  address,  he  went  into  the  coffee-room. 
There  happened  at  the  moment  to  be  but  one  person  there, 
and  as  he  rose  and  turned  towards  him,  Charlie  exclaimed 
in  astonishment  and  delight,  "Why,  Harry,  what  on  earth 
brings  you  here?  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  indeed,  but  you 
are  the  last  person  in  the  world  I  should  have  thought  of 
meeting  here  in  London." 

"You  thought  I  was  in  a  hut  made  as  wind-tight  as  pos- 
sible, before  the  cold  set  in  in  earnest.  So  I  should  have 
been,  with  six  months  of  a  dull  life  before  me,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  Sir  Marmaduke's  letter.  Directly  my  father  read 
it  through  to  me  he  said,  'Get  your  valises  packed  at  once, 
Harry.  I  will  go  to  the  colonel  and  get  your  leave  granted. 
Charlie  may  have  to  go  into  all  sorts  of  dens  in  search  of 
this  scoundrel,  and  it  is  better  to  have  two  swords  than  one 
in  such  places.  Besides,  as  you  know  the  fellow's  face  you 
can  aid  in  the  search,  and  are  as  likely  to  run  against  him 
as  he  is.  His  discovery  is  as  important  to  us  as  it  is  to 
him,  and  it  may  be  the  duke  will  be  more  disposed  to 


IN    ENGLAND    AGAIN  301 

interest  himself  when  he  sees  the  son  of  his  old  friend  than 
upon  the  strength  of  a  letter  only.'  You  may  imagine  I 
did  not  lose  much  time.  But  I  did  not  start  after  all  until 
the  next  morning,  for  when  the  colonel  talked  it  over  with 
my  father  he  said,  'Let  Harry  wait  till  to-morrow.  I  shall 
be  seeing  the  king  this  evening.  He  is  always  interested 
in  adventure,  and  I  will  tell  him  the  whole  story,  and  ask 
him  to  write  a  few  lines,  saying  that  Harry  and  Carstairs 
are  young  officers  who  have  borne  themselves  bravely  and 
to  his  satisfaction.  It  may  help  with  the  duke,  and  will 
show  at  any  rate  that  you  have  both  been  out  here  and  not 
intriguing  at  St.  Germains. ' 

"The  colonel  came  in  late  in  the  evening  with  a  paper, 
which  the  king  had  told  Count  Piper  to  write  and  sign,  and 
had  himself  put  his  signature  to  it.  I  have  got  it  sewn  up 
in  my  doublet  with  my  father's  letter  to  Marlborough. 
They  are  too  precious  to  lose,  but  I  can  tell  you  what  it  is 
word  for  word:  'By  order  of  King  Charles  XH.  of  Sweden. 
This  is  to  testify  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  that  Captain 
Charles  Carstairs  and  Captain  Harry  Jerv'oise — '  " 

"Oh,  I  am  glad,  Harry!  "  Charlie  interrupted.  "It  was 
horrid  that  I  should  have  been  a  captain  for  the  last  year 
and  you  a  lieutenant.     I  am  glad  indeed." 

"Yes,  it  is  grand,  isn't  it,  and  very  good  of  the  king  to 
do  it  like  that.  Now  I  will  go  on — 'have  both  ser\-ed  me 
well  and  faithfully  during  the  war,  showing  great  valour,  and 
proving  themselves  to  be  brave  and  honourable  gentlemen, 
as  may  be  seen,  indeed,  from  the  rank  that  they,  though 
young  in  years,  have  both  attained,  and  which  is  due  solely 
to  their  deserts.'     What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 

"Nothing  could  be  better,  Harry.  Did  you  see  my 
father  at  Gottenburg?  " 

"Yes.  The  ship  I  sailed  by  went  to  Stockholm,  and  I 
was  lucky  enough  to  find  there  another  starting  for  England 
in  a  few  hours.     She  touched  at  Gottenburg  to  take   in 


302  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

some  cargo,  and  I  had  time  to  see  Sir  Marmaduke,  who 
was  good  enough  to  express  himself  as  greatly  pleased  that 
I  was  coming  over  to  join  you." 

"Well,  Harry,  I  am  glad  indeed.  Before  we  talk,  let 
us  go  in  and  have  supper,  that  is  if  you  have  not  already 
had  yours.     If  you  have,  I  can  wait  a  bit." 

"No;  they  told  me  you  had  ordered  your  supper  at  six, 
so  I  told  them  I  would  take  mine  at  the  same  time;  and 
indeed  I  can  tell  you  that  I  am  ready  for  it." 

After  the  meal,  Charlie  told  his  friend  the  steps  he  was 
taking  to  discover  Nicholson. 

"  Do  you  feel  sure  that  you  would  know  him  again, 
Harry?" 

"  Quite  sure.  Why,  I  saw  him  dozens  of  times  at  Lynn- 
wood." 

"  Then  we  shall  now  be  able  to  hunt  for  him  separately, 
Harry.  Going  to  two  or  three  places  of  an  evening,  I 
always  fear  that  he  may  come  in  after  I  have  gone  away. 
Now  one  of  us  can  wait  till  the  hour  for  closing,  while  the 
other  goes  elsewhere." 

For  another  fortnight  they  frequented  all  the  places 
where  they  thought  Nicholson  would  be  most  likely  to  show 
himself;  then,  after  a  consultation  with  their  guide,  they 
agreed  that  they  must  look  for  him  at  lower  places. 

"Like  enough,"  the  tipstaff  said,  "he  may  have  run 
through  his  money  the  first  night  or  two  after  coming  up 
to  town.  That  is  the  way  with  these  fellows.  As  long  as 
they  have  money  they  gamble;  when  they  have  none,  they 
cheat  or  turn  to  other  evil  courses.  Now  that  there  are 
two  of  you  together,  there  is  less  danger  in  going  to  such 
places;  for  though  these  rascals  may  be  ready  to  pick  a 
quarrel  with  a  single  man,  they  know  that  it  is  a  dangerous 
game  to  play  with  two  who  look  perfectly  capable  of  de- 
fending themselves." 

For  a  month  they  frequented  low  taverns.     They  dressed 


IN   ENGLAND  AGATS 


303 


themselves  plainly  now,  and  assumed  the  character  of 
young  fellows  who  had  come  up  to  town,  and  had  fallen 
into  bad  company  and  lost  what  little  money  they  had 
brought  with  them,  and  were  now  ready  for  any  desperate 
enterprise.     Still  no  success  attended  their  search. 

"  1  can  do  no  more  for  you,"  their  guide  said.  "  I  have 
taken  you  to  every  house  that  such  a  man  would  be  likely 
to  use.  Of  course  there  are  many  houses  near  the  river 
frequented  by  bad  characters.  But  here  you  would  chiefly 
meet  men  connected  in  some  way  with  the  sea,  and  you 
would  be  hardly  likely  to  find  your  than  there." 

"We  shall  keep  on  searching,"  Charlie  said.  "He  may 
have  gone  out  of  town  for  some  reason,  and  may  return 
any  day.     We  shall  not  give  it  up  till  spring." 

"Well,  at  any  rate,  sirs,  I  will  take  your  money  no 
longer.  You  know  your  way  thoroughly  about  now,  and  if 
at  any  time  you  should  want  me,  you  know  where  to  find 
me.  It  might  be  worth  your  while  to  pay  a  visit  to  Isling- 
ton, or  even  to  go  as  far  as  Barnet.  The  fellow  may  have 
done  something,  and  may  think  it  safer  to  keep  in  hiding, 
and  in  that  case  Islington  and  Barnet  are  as  likely  to  suit 
him  as  anywhere." 

The  young  men  had,  some  time  before,  left  the  inn  and 
taken  a  lodging.  This  they  found  much  cheaper,  and  as 
they  were  away  from  breakfast  until  midnight,  it  mattered 
little  where  they  slept.  They  took  the  advice  of  their 
guide,  stayed  a  couple  of  nights  at  Islington,  and  then 
went  to  Barnet.  In  these  places  there  was  no  occasion  to 
visit  the  taverns,  as  being  comparatively  small,  they  would 
either  in  the  day-time  or  after  dark  have  an  opportunity  of 
meeting  most  of  those  living  there.  Finding  the  search 
ineffectual,  Charlie  proposed  that  they  should  go  for  a  long 
walk  along  the  north  road. 

"  I  am  tired  of  staring  every  man  I  meet  in  the  face, 
Harry.     And  I  should  like  for  once  to  be  able  to  throw  it 


304  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

all  off  and  take  a  good  walk  together  as  we  used  to  do  in  the 
old  days.  We  will  go  eight  or  ten  miles  out,  stop  at  some 
wayside  inn  for  refreshments,  and  then  come  back  here  for 
the  night,  and  start  back  again  for  town  to-morrow." 

Harry  at  once  agreed,  and  taking  their  hats  they  started. 

They  did  not  hurry  themselves,  and  carefully  avoiding 
all  mention  of  the  subject  that  had  occupied  their  thoughts 
for  weeks,  they  chatted  over  their  last  campaign,  their 
friends  in  the  Swedish  camp,  and  the  course  that  affairs 
were  likely  to  take.  After  four  hours'  walking  they  came 
to  a  small  wayside  inn  standing  back  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
from  the  road. 

"It  is  a  quiet-looking  little  place,"  Charlie  said,  "and 
does  but  a  small  trade,  I  should  say.  However,  no  doubt 
they  can  give  us  some  bread  and  cheese,  and  a  mug  of  ale, 
which  will  last  us  well  enough  till  we  get  back  to  Barnet." 

The  landlord  placed  what  they  demanded  before  them 
and  then  left  the  room  again,  replying  by  a  short  word  or 
two  to  their  remarks  on  the  weather. 

"A  surly  ill-conditioned  sort  of  fellow,"  Harry  said. 

"  It  may  be,  Harry,  that  badness  of  trade  has  spoiled  his 
temper.  However  so  long  as  his  beer  is  good  it  matters 
little  about  his  mood." 

They  had  finished  their  bread  and  cheese,  and  were 
sitting  idly,  being  in  no  hurry  to  start  on  their  way  back, 
when  a  man  on  horseback  turned  off  from  the  road  and 
came  up  the  narrow  lane  in  which  the  house  stood.  As 
Charlie,  who  was  facing  that  way,  looked  at  him  he  started, 
and  grasped  Harry's  arm. 

"  It  is  our  man,"  he  said;  "  it  is  Nicholson  himself !  To 
think  of  our  searching  all  London  these  weeks  past  and 
stumbling  upon  him  here." 

The  man  stopped  at  the  door,  which  was  at  once  opened 
by  the  landlord. 

"All  right,  I  suppose,  landlord,"  the  man  said  as  he 
swung  himself  from  his  horse. 


IX    ENGL-\XD    AGAIN  305 

"There  is  no  one  here  except  two  young  fellowS;  who 
look  to  me  as  if  they  had  spent  their  last  penny  in  London, 
and  were  travelling  down  home  again."  He  spoke  in  a 
lowered  voice,  but  the  words  came  plainly  enough  to  the 
ears  of  the  listeners  within.  Another  word  or  two  was 
spoken,  and  then  the  landlord  took  the  horse  and  led  it 
round  to  a  stable  behind,  while  its  rider  entered  the  room. 
He  stopped  for  a  moment  at  the  open  door  of  the  tap-room 
and  stared  at  the  t^vo  young  men,  who  had  just  put  on  their 
hats  again.     They  looked  up  carelessly,  and  Harry  said  — 

"Fine  weather  for  this  time  of  year." 

The  man  replied  by  a  grunt,  and  then  passed  on  into  the 
landlord's  private  room. 

"That  is  the  fellow,  sure  enough,  Charlie,"  Harry  said 
in  a  low  tone.  "I  thought  your  eyes  might  have  deceived 
you,  but  I  remember  his  face  well.  Now  what  is  to  be 
done?" 

"We  won't  lose  sight  of  him  again,"  Charlie  said. 
"Though  if  we  do  we  shall  know  where  to  pick  up  his 
traces,  for  he  evidently  frequents  this  place.  I  should 
say  he  has  taken  to  the  road,  there  were  a  brace  of  pistols 
in  the  holsters.  That  is  how  it  is  that  we  have  not  found 
him  before.  Well,  at  any  rate,  there  is  no  use  trying  to 
make  his  acquaintance  here.  The  first  question  is.  Will 
he  stay  here  for  the  night  or  not — and  if  he  does  not, 
which  way  will  he  go?  " 

"He  came  from  the  north,"  Harry  said.  "So  if  he  goes 
it  will  be  towards  town." 

"  That  is  so.  Our  best  plan  will  be  to  pay  our  reckoning 
and  start.  We  will  go  a  hundred  yards  or  so  down  the 
road,  and  then  lie  down  behind  a  hedge,  so  as  to  see  if  he 
passes.  If  he  does  not  leave  before  nightfall,  we  will  come 
up  to  the  house  and  reconnoitre.  If  he  does  not  leave  by 
ten,  he  is  here  for  the  night,  and  we  must  make  ourselves  as 
snug  as  we  can  under  a  stack.     The  nights  are  getting  cold. 


306  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

but  we  have  slept  out  in  a  deal  colder  weather  than  this. 
However,  I  fancy  he  will  go  on,  it  is  early  for  a  man  to 
finish  a  journey.  If  he  does,  we  must  follow  him  and  keep 
him  in  sight  if  possible." 

Two  hours  later  they  saw  from  their  hiding-place  Nichol- 
son ride  out  from  the  lane.  He  turned  his  horse's  head  in 
their  direction. 

"That  is  good,"  Charlie  said.  "If  he  is  bound  for 
London  we  shall  be  able  to  get  into  his  company  somehow; 
but  if  he  had  gone  up  to  some  quiet  place  north,  we  might 
have  had  a  lot  of  difficulty  in  getting  acquainted  with  him." 

As  soon  as  the  man  had  ridden  past  they  leapt  to  their 
feet,  and  at  a  run  kept  along  the  hedge.  He  had  started 
at  a  brisk  trot,  but  when,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on,  they 
reached  a  gate,  and  looked  up  the  road  after  him,  they  saw 
to  their  satisfaction  that  the  horse  had  already  fallen  into 
a  walk. 

"He  does  not  mean  to  go  far  from  Barnet,"  Charlie  ex- 
claimed. "  If  he  had  been  bound  farther  he  would  have 
kept  on  at  a  trot.  We  will  keep  on  behind  the  hedges  as 
long  as  we  can.  If  he  were  to  look  back  and  see  us  always 
behind  him  he  might  become  suspicious." 

They  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  up  with  the  horseman. 
Sometimes  when  they  looked  out  he  was  a  considerable 
distance  ahead,  having  quickened  his  pace;  but  he  never 
kept  that  up  long,  and  by  brisk  running,  and  dashing  reck- 
lessly through  the  hedges  running  at  right  angle^  to  that 
they  were  following,  they  soon  came  up  to  him  again. 
Once  he  had  gone  so  far  ahead  that  they  took  to  the  road, 
and  followed  it  until  he  again  slackened  his  speed;  they 
thus  kept  him  in  sight  till  they  neared  Barnet. 

"We  can  take  to  the  road  now,"  Harry  said.  "Even  if 
he  should  look  round  he  will  think  nothing  of  seeing  two 
men  behind  him,  we  might  have  turned  into  it  from  some 
by-lane.  At  any  rate  we  must  chance  it.  We  must  find 
where  he  puts  up  for  the  night." 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE   NORTH    COACH 

BARNET  was  then,  as  now,  a  somewhat  straggling  place. 
Soon  after  entering  it  the  horseman  turned  off  from  the 
main  road.  His  pursuers  were  but  fifty  yards  behind  him, 
and  they  kept  him  in  sight  until,  after  proceeding  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  he  stopped  at  a  small  tavern,  where  he  dis- 
mounted, and  a  boy  took  his  horse  and  led  it  round  by  the 
side  of  the  house. 

"Run  to  earth!"  Harry  said  exultantly.  "He  is  not 
likely  to  move  from  there  to-night." 

"At  any  rate  he  is  safe  for  a  couple  of  hours,"  Charlie 
said.  "  So  we  will  go  to  our  inn  and  have  a  good  meal. 
By  that  time  it  will  be  quite  dark,  and  we  will  have  a  look 
at  the  place  he  has  gone  into;  and  if  we  can't  learn  any- 
thing we  must  watch  it  by  turns  till  midnight.  We  will 
arrange  at  the  inn  to  hire  a  horse.  One  will  be  enough. 
He  only  caught  a  glimpse  of  us  at  that  inn,  and  certainly 
would  not  recognize  one  of  us  if  he  saw  him  alone.  The 
other  can  walk." 

" But  which  way,  Charlie?     He  may  go  back  again." 

"  It  is  hardly  likely  he  came  here  merely  for  the  pleasure 
of  stopping  the  night  at  that  little  tavern.  I  have  no  doubt 
he  is  bound  for  London.  You  shall  take  the  horse,  Harry, 
and  watch  until  he  starts,  and  then  follow  him,  just  manag- 

307 


308  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

ing  to  come  up  close  to  him  as  he  gets  into  town.  I  will 
start  early  and  wait  at  the  beginning  of  the  houses,  and 
it  is  hard  if  one  or  other  of  us  does  not  manage  to  find  out 
where  he  hides." 

They  had  no  difficulty  in  arranging  with  the  landlord  for 
a  horse,  which  was  to  be  left  in  a  stable  he  named  in  town. 
They  gave  him  a  deposit,  for  which  he  handed  them,  a 
note,  by  which  the  money  was  to  be  returned  to  them  by 
the  stable-keeper  on  their  handing  over  the  horse  in  good 
condition. 

After  the  meal  they  sallied  out  again  and  walked  to  the 
tavern,  which  was  a  small  place  standing  apart  from  other 
houses.  There  was  a  light  in  the  tap-room,  but  they  guessed 
that  here,  as  at  the  other  stopping-place,  the  man  they 
wanted  would  be  in  a  private  apartment.  Passing  the  house 
they  saw  a  light  in  a  side-window,  and  noiselessly  opening 
a  little  wicket-gate  they  stole  into  the  garden.  Going  a 
short  distance  back  from  the  window,  so  that  the  light 
should  not  show  their  faces,  they  looked  in,  and  saw  the 
man  they  sought  sitting  by  the  fire,  with  a  table  on  which 
stood  a  bottle  and  two  glasses  beside  him,  and  another  man 
facing  him. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  Harry.  I  will  steal  up  to  the  win- 
dow and  find  out  whether  I  can  hear  what  they  are  saying." 

Stooping  close  under  the  window  he  could  hear  the  mur- 
mur of  voices,  but  could  distinguish  no  words.  He  rejoined 
his  companion.  "  I  am  going  to  make  a  trial  to  overhear 
them,  Harry,  and  it  is  better  that  only  one  of  us  should  be 
here.     You  go  back  to  the  inn  and  wait  for  me  there." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Charlie?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  throw  a  stone  through  the  lower  part  of 
the  window.  Then  I  shall  hide.  They  will  rush  out,  and 
when  they  can  find  no  one  they  will  conclude  that  the  stone 
was  thrown  by  some  mischievous  boy  going  along  the  road. 
When  all  is  quiet  again  I  will  creep  up  to  the  window,  and 


THE   NORTH    COACH  309 

it  will  be  hard  if  I  don't  manage  to  learn  something  of  what 
they  are  saying." 

The  plan  was  carried  out,  and  Charlie,  getting  close  up 
to  the  window,  threw  a  stone  through  one  of  the  lowest  of 
the  little  diamond-shaped  panes.  He  heard  a  loud  exclama- 
tion of  anger  inside,  and  then  sprang  away  and  hid  himself 
at  the  other  end  of  the  garden.  A  moment  later  he  heard 
loud  talking  in  the  road,  and  a  man  with  a  lantern  came 
round  to  the  window,  but  in  a  few  minutes  all  was  quiet 
again,  and  Charlie  cautiously  made  his  way  back  to  the 
window  and  crouched  beneath  it.  He  could  hear  plainly 
enough  now  the  talk  going  on  within. 

"  What  was  I  saying  when  that  confounded  stone  inter- 
rupted us?  " 

"You  were  saying,  captain,  that  you  intended  to  have 
a  week  in  London,  and  then  to  stop  the  North  coach." 

"Yes,  I  have  done  well  lately,  and  can  afford  a  week's 
pleasure.  Besides,  Jerry  Skinlow  got  a  bullet  in  his  shoul- 
der last  week  in  trying  to  stop  a  carriage  on  his  own 
account,  and  Jack  Mercer's  mare  is  laid  up  lame,  and  it 
wants  four  to  stop  a  coach  neatly.  Jack  Ponsford  is  in 
town,  I  shall  bring  him  out  wuth  me." 

"I  heard  that  you  were  out  of  luck  a  short  time  ago." 

"Yes,  everything  seemed  against  me.  My  horse  was 
shot,  and  just  at  the  time  I  had  been  having  a  bad  run  at 
the  tables  and  had  lost  my  last  stiver.  I  was  in  hiding  for 
a  fortnight  at  one  of  the  cribs;  for  they  had  got  a  descrip- 
tion of  me  from  an  old  gentleman,  who  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  I  had  eased  of  their  money  and  watches.  It  was 
a  stupid  business.  I  dropped  a  valuable  diamond  ring 
on  the  ground,  and  in  groping  about  for  it  my  mask  came 
off,  and  like  a  fool  I  stood  up  in  the  full  light  of  the  car- 
riage-lamp. So  I  thought  it  better  for  all  reasons  to  get 
away  for  a  month  or  so  until  things  quieted  down.  I  wanted 
to  visit  my  banker,  and  it  was  a  good  many  miles  to 
tramp." 


310  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Oh,  you  have  got  a  banker,  captain?  " 

"I  have  one  who  is  just  as  good,  though  I  cannot  say  he 
shells  out  his  money  willingly — in  fact  he  was  rude  enough 
to  say  when  I  called  this  time,  that  if  I  ever  showed  my 
face  to  him  again  he  would  shoot  me  even  if  he  were  hung 
for  it.  Bad  taste,  wasn't  it?  At  any  rate  I  mustn't  call 
on  him  again  too  soon." 

"You  haven't  settled  on  the  night  yet,  I  suppose,  cap- 
tain?" 

"About  the  end  of  next  week.  Friday  will  be  a  full 
moon,  I  think,  and  I  like  a  moon  for  the  work.  It  gives 
light  enough  to  see  what  you  are  doing,  and  not  light 
enough  for  them  to  see  much  of  you.  So  I  suppose  I  may 
as  well  fix  Friday.  I  will  send  up  a  message  for  Jack 
Mercer  and  Jerry  Skinlow  to  be  here  on  Thursday  evening. 
I  will  be  here  that  afternoon  and  settle  matters  with  them 
as  to  where  they  shall  meet  me,  and  what  each  man  shall 
dok  Then  I  will  ride  back  to  town,  and  come  out  again 
just  as  it  gets  dark,  with  Jack  Ponsford." 

"I  suppose  you  will  do  it  north  of  here?" 

"  No,  I  will  do  it  a  mile  or  two  out  of  town.  The  road 
north  of  this  is  getting  rather  a  bad  reputation,  and  in 
going  out  of  Barnet  the  guard  now  looks  to  his  blunderbuss, 
and  the  passengers  get  their  pistols  ready.  It  isn't  once 
in  a  hundred  times  they  have  pluck  enough  to  use  them, 
but  they  always  think  they  will  until  the  time  comes.  Near 
town  we  shall  take  them  by  surprise,  and  stop  them  before 
they  have  time  to  think  of  getting  out  their  arms.  Con- 
found that  window;  shove  something  into  the  hole,  John- 
son.    I  can  feel  the  cold  right  down  my  back." 

A  cloth  was  pushed  into  the  broken  pane,  and  Charlie 
could  hear  no  more  of  what  was  said  inside.  He  had 
heard,  indeed,  enough  for  his  purpose,  but  he  had  hoped 
to  gather  the  name  of  the  place  at  which  the  man  would 
put  up  in  London.  However,  he  was  well  satisfied  with 
his  success,  and  at  once  made  his  way  back  to  the  inn. 


THE  NORTH   COACH  311 

"Well,  Charlie,  how  have  you  succeeded?  "  Harry  asked 
as  he  sat  down  at  the  table. 

"  Could  not  be  better,  Harry,  though  I  did  not  find  out 
where  he  puts  up  in  London.  However,  that  is  of  small 
consequence.  In  the  first  place,  I  found  out  that  our  sus- 
picions were  right,  and  that  the  fellow  is  a  highwayman, 
and  seems  to  be  captain  of  a  gang  consisting  anyhow  of 
three,  and  perhaps  of  more,  fellows  like  himself.  In  the 
second  place,  he  intends  with  his  three  comrades  to  attack 
the  coach  on  Friday  week,  two  or  three  miles  out  of  town. 
Nothing  could  better  suit  our  purpose,  even  if  we  had 
planned  the  affair  ourselves.  Of  course  we  will  be  there. 
If  we  can  capture  him  while  engaged  in  that  work,  we  can 
get  anything  out  of  him.  He  has  either  got  to  confess  or 
be  hanged." 

"  That  is  a  stroke  of  good  luck  indeed,"  Harry  exclaimed. 
"  It  will  be  rather  difficult  to  manage,  though.  The  fel- 
lows will  be  sure  to  be  masked;  and  if  we  were  to  shoot 
him  instead  of  one  of  the  others,  it  would  be  fatal." 

"Yes,  that  would  be  awkward.  Besides,"  Charlie  said, 
"even  if  we  did  recognize  him  and  shot  his  horse,  he  might 
jump  up  behind  one  of  the  other  men,  or  might  make  off 
across  the  country,  and  we  might  lose  sight  of  him  before 
we  could  get  down  from  the  top  of  the  coach  to  pursue." 

"  It  might  be  better  if  we  were  mounted  instead  of  being 
on  the  coach." 

"Better  in  some  ways,  Harry;  but  if  they  heard  two 
mounted  men  coming  along  beside  the  coach,  they  would 
probably  take  the  alarm  and  not  attack  at  all;  while,  if  we 
were  to  keep  a  bit  behind  and  ride  up  as  soon  as  we  heard 
the  firing — for  they  generally  shoot  one  of  the  horses  to 
bring  the  coach  to  a  stand-still — they  might  ride  off  as 
soon  as  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  horses  on  the  road. 
Those  fellows  are  splendidly  mounted,  their  lives  depend 
upon  it,  and  nothing  we  should  be  able  to  hire  would  be 
likely  to  have  a  chance  with  them." 


312  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Well,  we  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  think  this  over, 
Charlie.  I  suppose  we  shall  carry  out  our  plan  to-morrow, 
as  we  arranged." 

"Certainly.  It  is  as  important  to  find  out  where  he 
lives  in  London  as  it  was  before,  for  if  he  gets  away  we 
can  then  look  him  up  there.  We  may  as  well  go  to  bed 
at  once,  for  I  shall  start  at  four,  so  as  to  get  to  town  before 
him  however  early  he  may  be  off.  But  as  we  know  now 
he  is  going  up  on  pleasure  and  not  on  business,  I  don't 
suppose  he  will  be  in  any  hurry  in  the  morning." 

Charlie  arrived  in  town  about  eight  o'clock,  and  having 
breakfasted  at  the  first  tavern  he  came  to,  walked  along 
for  some  distance  to  decide  upon  the  spot  where  he  should 
take  up  his  position.  As  Nicholson  was  going  up,  as  he 
said,  to  enjoy  himself,  it  was  not  likely  that  he  would  put 
up  at  Islington,  but  would  take  up  his  quarters  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  town.  He  therefore  decided  to  walk  on  until  he 
came  to  some  junction  of  important  roads,  and  there  wait, 
as  the  man  might  make  either  for  the  city  or  Westminster, 
though  the  latter  appeared  the  more  probable  direction. 
Here  he  walked  up  and  down  for  an  hour,  and  then  enter- 
ing a  tavern  took  his  place  at  the  window,  where  he  could 
see  up  the  street,  called  for  a  stoup  of  wine,  and  prepared 
for  a  long  wait.  It  was  not  indeed  until  three  o'clock 
that  he  saw  Nicholson  coming  along.  He  was  more  gaily 
dressed  than  he  had  been  on  the  previous  day.  He  had 
on  a  green  cloth  coat  with  gold  braid  round  the  cuffs,  an 
embroidered  waistcoat,  yellow  breeches,  top-boots,  and 
three-cornered  hat.     He  was  riding  at  foot-pace. 

Charlie  went  to  the  door  as  soon  as  he  passed,  and  saw 
that,  as  he  expected,  he  took  the  road  t,o  Westminster. 
Looking  round  he  saw  Harry  riding  about  a  hundred  yards 
behind.  Charlie  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  up  with 
Nicholson,  and  traced  him  to  a  house  in  a  quiet  street 
lying  behind  the  Abbey.     A  boy  came  out  and  held  the 


THE   NORTH   COACH  313 

horse  while  its  rider  dismounted,  and  then  led  it  away  to 
the  stable  of  an  inn  a  short  distance  away.  Charlie  turned 
at  once  and  joined  Harry. 

"I  need  not  have  taken  all  the  trouble  I  have,  Harry, 
still  there  was  no  knowing.  Evidently  the  fellow  has  no 
fear  of  being  detected,  and  is  going  to  pass  for  a  week  as 
a  gentleman  from  the  country.  I  suppose  he  is  in  the 
habit  of  stopping  at  that  house  whenever  he  comes  up  with 
his  pockets  lined,  and  is  regarded  there  as  a  respectable 
gentleman  by  the  landlord.  Now  you  had  better  take  your 
horse  to  the  stable  where  you  agreed  to  hand  it  over,  and 
we  will  meet  at  our  lodgings  and  plan  what  to  do  next." 

The  discussion  did  not  lead  to  much,  there  did  not  seem 
to  them  anything  to  do  until  the  day  when  the  coach  was 
to  be  attacked,  but  they  agreed  it  would  be  well  to  take 
the  advice  of  their  friend  the  tipstaff.  Hitherto  they  had 
not  told  him  more  of  their  motive  for  desiring  to  find  Nich- 
olson than  Charlie  had  said  at  his  first  interview  with  him. 
They  thought  it  would  be  better  now  to  make  him  more 
fully  acquainted  with  the  facts,  for  they  had  found  him 
shrewd,  and  eager  to  assist  them  to  the  best  of  his  power. 
They  therefore  sent  a  boy  with  a  note  to  him  at  the  court, 
and  at  seven  o'clock  he  came  to  their  lodgings. 

"We  have  found  our  man,"  Charlie  said  as  he  entered. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,  gentlemen.  I  had  quite 
given  up  all  hopes  that  you  would  be  able  to  do  so,  and 
thought  he  must  have  left  town  altogether  for  a  time." 

"Sit  down  and  take  a  glass  of  wine;  we  want  your  advice 
in  this  matter,  and  unless  you  know  how  much  there  is  at 
stake  you  will  not  be  able  to  enter  fully  into  the  affair. 
Some  four  years  ago  this  fellow  was  concerned  in  a  plot  by 
which  six  gentlemen,  among  whom  were  our  friends,  were 
brought  to  ruin.  They  were  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
together,  being  all  of  similar  political  opinions,  and  advan- 
tage was  taken  of  this  by  a  man,  who  hoped  to  profit  largely 


314  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

by  their  ruin,  especially  by  that  of  my  father.  In  order 
to  bring  this  about  he  recommended  this  fellow  we  are  in 
search  of  to  my  father,  who  happened  at  the  time  to  be  in 
want  of  a  servant. 

"The  fellow  undoubtedly  acted  as  a  spy,  for  I  once 
caught  him  at  it.  But  spying  alone  would  have  been  of  no 
use,  for  there  was  nothing  at  any  time  said  that  would  have 
brought  harm  upon  them.  They  simply  discussed  what 
thousands  of  other  people  have  discussed,  the  measures  that 
should  be  taken  on  behalf  of  the  Stuarts  if  one  of  them 
came  over  from  France  supported  by  a  French  force.  The 
fellow,  however,  swore  that  the  object  of  these  meetings  was 
to  arrange  for  an  assassination  of  William.  He  gave  full  de- 
tails of  the  supposed  plot,  and  in  order  to  give  substance  to 
his  statements  he  hid  in  a  cabinet  of  my  father's  a  number  of 
compromising  papers,  professing  to  be  letters  from  abroad. 

"These  were  found  by  the  officers  sent  to  arrest  my 
father.  He  and  his  five  friends  managed  to  escape,  but 
their  estates  were  forfeited.  Of  course,  what  we  want  to 
prove  is  the  connection  between  this  spy  and  his  employer, 
who,  for  his  services  in  bringing  this  supposed  plot  to  light, 
received  as  a  reward  my  father's  estates.  There  is  no  way 
of  doing  this  unless  this  man  can  be  brought  to  confess  his 
own  villainy  in  the  matter  of  the  letters,  and  to  denounce 
the  scoundrel  whose  agent  he  was.  Probably  by  this  time 
he  has  got  nearly  all  he  can  expect  from  his  employer,  and 
will  at  least  feel  no  scruples  in  exposing  him  if  by  so  doing 
he  can  save  his  own  neck.  Now,  we  have  not  only  dis- 
covered the  man,  but  have  found  out  that  he  is  a  notorious 
highwayman  and  the  leader  of  a  gang;  but  more,  I  have 
found  out  the  day  and  hour  on  which  he  proposes  to  stop 
and  rob  the  North  coach." 

"Well,  Mr.  Carstairs,  if  you  have  done  that,"  the  man 
said,  "  you  have  done  marv^els.  That  you  should  find  the 
man  might  be  a  piece  of  good  luck,  but  that  you  should  have 
learned  all  this  about  him  seems  to  me  wonderful." 


THE   NORTH   COACH  315 

"It  was  a  lucky  accident  altogether.  We  saw  him, 
watched  him,  and  managed  to  overhear  a  conversation  from 
which  we  gathered  these  facts.  It  was  all  simple  enough. 
Of  course  our  idea  is  that  we  should,  if  possible,  catch  him 
in  the  act  of  robbing  the  coach,  bind  and  take  charge  of 
him,  saying  that  we  should  hand  him  over  to  justice,  when 
the  coachman  and  passengers  would,  of  course,  appear  to 
testify  against  him.  Instead  of  doing  this  we  should  take 
him  somewhere,  and  then  give  him  the  option  of  either 
making  a  clean  breast  of  the  whole  story,  and  remaining  in 
our  custody  until  called  upon  to  testify  to  his  statement  in 
a  court  of  justice  whenever  required,  or  of  being  handed 
over  to  the  authorities  to  be  tried  and  hung  as  a  highway- 
man. One  of  our  greatest  difficulties  is  how  to  effect  his 
capture.  The  attack  will  be  made  at  night  on  the  coach, 
and  in  the  darkness  we  might  shoot  him  or  he  might  get 
away.  He  is  at  present  in  London  at  a  lodging  in  a  street 
behind  the  Abbey,  where,  doubtless,  his  real  profession  is 
altogether  unsuspected  by  the  people  of  the  house.  Now, 
you  know  the  whole  affair,  let  us  have  your  opinion  as  to 
the  manner  in  which  we  had  best  set  about  the  business." 

The  man  sat  for  some  time  in  silence. 

"  I  can  think  of  no  better  plan  than  yours,  sir,  and  yet  it 
seems  to  me  that  there  is  scarcely  any  chance  of  your 
catching  him  at  the  coach.  Of  course  it  would  be  easy 
enough  if  you  did  not  care  whether  you  killed  or  caught 
him.  All  you  would  have  to  do  would  be  to  get  half  a 
dozen  stout  fellows  armed  with  pistols  on  the  coach  with 
you  instead  of  passengers,  and  then  you  would  be  pretty 
certain  to  kill  some  of  them,  perhaps  all;  but  as  you  can't 
do  that,  and  are  afraid  to  shoot  lest  you  should  kill  him,  it 
seems  to  me  that  you  have  a  very  small  chance  of  catching 
him  that  way." 

Charlie  and  his  friend  so  thoroughly  saw  this  that  they 
sat  silent  when  he  ceased  speaking. 


316  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"We  could  not  arrest  him  now,  I  suppose?  "  Harry  said 
at  last. 

"  Well,  you  see,  you  have  got  nothing  against  him.  He 
may  have  been  a  Knight  of  the  Road  for  the  last  five  years, 
but  you  have  no  witnesses  to  prove  it,  and  it  is  not  much 
use  to  accuse  him  of  intending  to  rob  the  North  mail. 
You  have  no  proofs  even  of  that,  it  is  only  your  word 
against  his.  There  is  no  doubt  that  after  they  have  robbed 
the  coach  they  will  separate,  they  may  go  away  in  twos  or 
singly.  Now,  you  see,  we  know  three  of  this  fellow's 
hiding-places.  He  would  hardly  choose  the  one  at  Barnet, 
it  is  too  close;  it  is  more  likely  he  would  choose  the  next 
place,  the  little  inn  in  which  you  saw  him  first;  but  I  think 
it  more  likely  still  that  he  and  his  mates  will  divide  the 
plunder  half  a  mile  or  so  from  the  place  where  they  stopped 
the  coach,  and  will  then  separate,  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  his  most  likely  course  is  to  strike  off  from  the  main 
road,  make  a  long  round,  and  come  down  before  morning 
to  where  he  is  now.  He  may  take  his  horse  into  its  stable, 
or  more  likely  he  may  leave  it  at  some  place  he  may  know 
of  on  the  road  leading  out  through  Putney,  and  then  arrive 
^  his  lodgings  just  about  daybreak.  He  would  explain  he 
had  been  at  a  supper  and  had  kept  it  up  all  night,  and  no 
one  would  even  have  a  suspicion  he  had  been  engaged  in 
the  affair  with  the  coach.  I  am  sure  that  is  his  most  likely 
plan." 

"Then  what  would  you  do?  "  Harry  asked. 

"What  I  should  do  is  this.  I  will  get  two  sharp  active 
boys.  I  know  of  two  who  would  just  do,  they  have  done 
jobs  for  us  before  now.  I  will  give  them  the  exact  descrip- 
tion of  those  two  taverns,  and  send  them  down  the  day 
before  the  coach  is  to  be  attacked,  and  tell  them  that  that 
night  they  are  each  to  keep  watch  over  one  of  them,  see 
who  goes  in,  watch  till  they  come  out,  and  then  follow 
them,  for  days  if  necessary,  and  track  them  down.     Then 


THE   NORTH    COACH  317 

they  can  send  word  up  by  the  guard  of  the  coach  each  day;  so 
that  if  we  find  our  man  does  not  come  back  here  by  Saturday 
morning,  we  shall  have  news  that  will  put  us  on  his  track 
again  before  long.  However,  I  think  he  is  sure  to  come 
back  here.  You  had  better  point  out  to  me  this  evening 
where  he  lodges,  and  I  shall  be  able  to  find  out  before  long 
whether  they  are  respectable  people  or  whether  they  are 
likely  to  be  pals  of  his.  If  they  are  respectable  I  will  see 
them  on  Friday  evening,  show  them  my  badge,  and  tell 
them  that  the  man  who  has  been  lodging  here  is  a  notorious 
highwayman,  and  that  I  am  going  to  arrest  him.  To  pre- 
vent any  chance  of  a  mistake  I  will  put  three  or  four  of  my 
mates  round  the  house,  to  see  that  no  one  goes  out  to  give 
him  the  alarm.  I  will  come  down  and  open  the  door  for 
you  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning;  you  can  then  come  up 
with  me  into  his  bed-room,  and  as  he  comes  in  I  will  nab 
him. 

"If,  on  the  other  hand,  I  find  the  people  of  the  house 
have  a  doubtful  reputation  in  the  neighbourhood,  we  must 
simply  hide  in  door-ways,  make  a  rush  upon  him  as  he  goes 
up  to  the  house  and  overpower  him  there.  If  one  stands 
in  his  doorway  and  leaps  out  on  him  as  he  comes  up,  he 
won't  have  much  chance  of  using  a  pistol.  I  will  have  a 
cart  ready  close  by.  We  will  truss  him  up  tightly,  gag  him 
and  put  him  into  it,  and  I  will  have  some  place  ready  for 
us  to  drive  him  to,  if  you  think  that  plan  is  as  good  as  any 
other." 

"  I  think  it  is  an  excellent  plan  and  could  not  be  better," 
Charlie  exclaimed,  and  his  friend  heartily  agreed  with 
him. 

"I  think  you  will  be  able  to  get  anything  out  of  him 
when  you  get  him  there,"  said  the  tipstaff.  "He  is  sure 
to  have  some  of  the  swag  about  him,  and  even  if  none  of 
the  passengers  of  the  coach  are  able  to  swear  to  him,  that 
and  the  talk  you  overheard  would  be  suf^ficient  to  hang 
him." 


318  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

" Can  those  boys  you  speak  of  write?  " 

"Not  they,  sir." 

"There  might  be  a  difficulty  about  a  verbal  message." 

"The  guard  will  give  it  all  right  if  he  gets  half  a  crown 
with  it;  you  need  not  trouble  about  that,  sir.  I  will 
have  a  man  to  meet  each  coach  as  it  comes  in.  And  now 
we  have  arranged  matters,  sir,  I  will  go  with  you  to  see 
the  house,  and  will  send  a  sharp  fellow  down  to-morrow 
to  make  inquiries  about  the  people  of  the  place." 

When  they  returned  the  friends  sat  for  a  long  time  talk- 
ing together.  The  suggested  plan  looked  so  hopeful  that 
they  felt  confident  of  its  success. 

"I  think,  Charlie,"  Harry  said,  "it  would  be  a  good 
thing  for  us  to  present  ourselves  to  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough; then  we  shall  see  if  he  is  disposed  to  take  an 
interest  in  us  and  help  us.  If  he  is,  he  will  tell  us  what 
had  best  be  done  towards  getting  Nicholson's  statement 
made  in  the  presence  of  some  sort  of  official  who  will  act 
on  it.  If  he  gives  us  the  cold  shoulder  we  shall  have  to 
do  as  best  we  can  in  some  other  direction,  and  it  will  be 
well  to  have  the  matter  settled  if  possible  before  we  catch 
the  fellow." 

"  I  think  that  will  be  a  very  good  plan,  Harry.  I  know 
where  he  lives.  I  inquired  directly  I  came  over.  To- 
morrow morning  we  can  go  there  and  inquire  at  the  dooy 
at  what  hour  he  receives  callers." 

The  next  day  at  eleven  o'clock  the  young  men,  dressed 
in  their  best  attire,  called  at  the  duke's.  They  were 
informed  that  the  great  m,an  was  at  home,  and  would  be  as 
likely  to  see  them  then  as  at  any  other  hour.  Accordingly 
they  entered,  and  were  shown  into  an  ante-room,  and  sent 
their  names  in  by  a  footman.  He  returned  with  a  request 
that  they  would  follow  him,  and  were  shown  into  a  library, 
where  a  singularly  handsome  man  in  the  prime  of  life  was 
sitting  at  a  desk.     He  looked  at  them  in  some  surprise. 


"THE   KING    OF    SWEDEN   SPEAKS    VERY    HIGHLY    OF    YOU   BOTH.^* 


THE   NORTH   COACH  319 

"Is  there  not  some  mistake,  young  gentlemen?"  he 
asked.  "  My  servant  gave  the  names  as  Captain  Jervoise 
and  Captain  Carstairs.  I  do  not  recall  the  names  as  those 
of  officers  in  her  majesty's  service." 

"  No,  my  lord,  we  have  the  honour  to  be  captains  in  the 
service  of  King  Charles  of  Sweden,  as  this  document  signed 
both  by  his  minister,  Count  Piper,  and  by  the  king  himself 
will  testify." 

The  duke  took  the  paper  and  read  it. 

"The  king  of  Sweden  speaks  very  highly  of  you  both, 
gentlemen,"  he  said  cordially.  "It  is  no  mean  credit  to 
have  gained  such  warm  praise  from  the  greatest  general  of 
his  time.  What  can  I  do  for  you?  Do  you  wish  to  be 
transferred  from  the  service  of  Sweden  to  that  of  her 
majesty!  We  have  need  of  good  officers,  and  I  can  prom- 
ise that  you  shall  receive  the  same  rank  that  you  now  hold, 
and  it  is  likely  that  before  long  you  will  have  an  opportu- 
nity of  seeing  some  service  under  your  national  flag." 

"  I  thank  you  warmly  for  your  kindness,  my  lord,  but  it 
is  not  with  that  view  that  we  have  now  come  to  you, 
though  I  am  sure  that  we  both  should  prefer  to  fight  under 
our  own  flag  rather  than  under  that  of  a  foreign  king,  how- 
ever kindly  he  may  be  disposed  to  us  personally.  We  have 
called  upon  a  private  matter,  and  I  am  the  bearer  of  this 
letter  from  my  father,  who  had  once  the  honour  of  your 
lordship's  friendship." 

"Jervoise,"  the  duke  repeated,  as  he  took  the  letter. 
"Not  Mat  Jervoise,  surely?" 

"That  is  my  father's  name,  sir." 

"  Do  I  remember  him  ?  Why,  he  was  one  of  my  closest 
friends  when  I  was  a  lad,  and  I  once  stayed  with  him  at 
his  father's  place  for  a  fortnight  on  a  journey  I  took  to 
the  north.  But  I  will  read  his  letter.— What  changes 
happen,"  he  said  as  he  laid  it  down.  "To  think  that 
Mat  Jervoise  should  be  an  exile,  his  old  home  in  the  hands 


320  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

of  Strangers,  and  he  a  major  in  the  Swedish  service,  and 
that  I  should  never  have  heard  a  word  about  it!  Well, 
young  sir,"  and  he  held  out  his  hand  to  Harry,  "I  can 
promise  you  my  aid  and  protection  to  the  utmost  in  what- 
ever matter  you  may  be  concerned.  I  seem  to  remember 
the  name  of  your  companion  too." 

"  His  father.  Sir  Marmaduke,  was  a  neighbour  of  ours. 
There  has  always  been  great  friendship  between  the  two 
families." 

"  Of  course,  I  remember  him  now.  He  was  some  fifteen 
or  twenty  years  older  than  your  father.  I  remember  that 
I  went  over  with  your  father  and  grandfather  and  dined  at 
his  place.     He  is  still  alive  and  well,  I  hope?  " 

"He  is  both,  sir,"  Charlie  said;  "but,  like  Major  Jer- 
voise,  an  exile." 

"  You  amaze  me,  but  I  will  not  ask  you  to  tell  me  more 
now.  I  have  to  be  at  St.  James's  at  twelve.  Let  me  see, 
this  evening  I  shall  be  engaged.  Come  to-morrow  morn- 
ing at  half-past  eight,  and  I  shall  then  be  able  to  give  you 
an  hour,  or  may  be  two  if  necessary,  and  will  then  hear 
the  whole  story  fully." 

The  young  men  on  presenting  themselves  the  next  morn- 
ing at  the  hour  named  were  at  once  ushered  in. 

"Now,  let  us  lose  no  time,"  the  duke  said,  after  shaking 
hands  heartily.     "Which  of  you  will  tell  the  story?  " 

"Carstairs  will  do  so,  my  lord,"  Harry  replied.  "The 
mischief  was  hatched  in  his  house,  and  my  father  and  six 
other  gentlemen  were  the  victims  of  the  treachery  of  a 
kinsman  of  his." 

Charlie  told  the  story  of  the  events  that  had  brought 
about  the  ruin  of  his  father  and  friends. 

"It  is  monstrous!"  the  duke  exclaimed  indignantly, 
when  he  had  brought  this  part  of  his  story  to  a  conclusion. 
"That  my  old  friend  Mat  Jervoise  should  be  concerned  in 
a  plot  for  assassination,  is,  I  would  pledge  my  life,  untrue; 


THE  NORTH   COACH  321 

and  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs  was,  I  know,  an  honourable 
gentleman,  who  would  be  equally  incapable  of  such  an  act. 
That  they  were  both  Jacobites  I  can  well  believe,  for  the 
Jacobites  are  strong  everywhere  in  the  north,  but,  as  half 
of  us  are  or  have  been  Jacobites,  that  can  scarcely  be 
counted  as  an  offence.  At  any  rate  a  Stuart  is  upon  the 
throne  now,  and  as  long  as  she  reigns  there  is  no  fear  that 
a  civil  war  will  be  set  up  by  another  of  the  race.  The 
story  as  you  have  told  it,  sir,  is,  I  doubt  not  for  a  moment, 
true,  but  at  present  it  is  unsupported,  and  though  on  my 
assurance  of  their  loyalty  I  think  I  can  promise  that  her 
majesty  would  extend  a  pardon  to  the  gentlemen  who  have 
been  so  unjustly  accused,  I  fear  that  she  could  not  by  her 
own  act  restore  the  estates  that  have  been  confiscated, 
unless  you  can  bring  some  proof  that  this  fellow  you  speak 
of  was  suborned  to  get  up  false  evidence  against  them." 

"That,  sir,  is  what  I  shall  have  the  honour  to  inform  you 
now." 

And  Charlie  then  related  the  story  of  their  quest  for  the 
man  Nicholson  and  its  result. 

"Rarely devised  and  carried  out, "the  duke  said  warmly. 
"  Do  you  lay  the  knave  by  the  heels,  and  frighten  him  into 
confessing  the  truth,  and  I  will  see  to  the  rest  of  the  matter. 
I  do  not  know  that  I  ought  to  let  the  North  coach  be 
robbed  after  the  information  you  have  given  me,  but  as  we 
will  hunt  down  all  the  other  fellows,  and  shall  probably 
recover  the  booty  they  carry  off,  the  passengers  will  have 
no  reason  to  grumble.  Well,  young  sirs,  the  king  of 
Sweden  has  given  you  a  testimonial  as  to  your  bravery  and 
conduct;  if  necessary  I  will  give  you  one  for  your  ingenuity 
in  planning  and  carrying  out  a  difficult  scheme.  So  you 
have  both  been  with  the  Swedes  through  their  campaign 
against  the  Russians  and  Poles.  I  envy  you.  King  Charles' 
service  is  a  grand  school  for  soldiers,  and  that  victory  of 
Narva  is  the  most  extraordinary  one  ever  seen.  Had  you 
the  honour  of  any  personal  intercourse  with  the  king?  " 


322  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"  Only  during  three  days  when  our  company  formed  part 
of  his  escort  at  a  hunting  expedition,"  Harry,  whom  he 
addressed,  replied.  "  But  Carstairs  spoke  to  him  more  fre- 
quently. He  has  been  a  captain  nearly  two  years,  while  I 
only  had  my  promotion  two  months  ago.  We  were  in  the 
same  regiment  and  of  the  same  rank,  but  Carstairs  was 
promoted  by  the  king  after  the  battle  at  the  passage  of  the 
Dwina,  as  a  reward  for  the  suggestion  he  made  in  conversa- 
tion with  him  that  the  passage  might  be  made  under  the 
screen  of  smoke  caused  by  the  lighting  of  the  forage  stacks." 

"  I  must  have  a  long  talk  with  you  both.  It  is  certain 
that  next  spring  the  campaign  with  France  will  re-open, 
and  your  experience  in  the  field  will  be  very  useful  to  me. 
The  Swedes  are  wonderful  soldiers.  The  Muscovites  at 
present  are  little  better  than  barbarians  carrying  European 
arms,  but  the  Saxons  are  good  troops,  and  the  Swedes  have 
twice  beaten  them  heavily,  and  they  evidently  retain  the 
fighting  qualities  that  under  Gustavus  Adolphus  shook  the 
imperial  power  to  its  centre. 

"  The  trouble  is  to  find  time.  I  am  pestered  with  men 
desirous  of  employment  in  the  army,  with  persons  who  want 
favours  at  court,  with  politicians  of  both  parties,  with  peo- 
ple with  schemes  and  intrigues  of  all  kinds.  I  have  to  be 
in  attendance  at  the  palace,  and  to  see  into  the  whole  details 
of  the  organization  of  the  army.  I  have  no  doubt  that  at 
present  my  ante-chamber  is  crowded  with  people  who  want 
to  see  m.e."  He  looked  at  his  tablets.  "Next  Wednesday 
evening  I  am  free,  except  for  a  reception  at  Lord  Godol- 
phin's,  but  I  can  look  in  there  late.  I  will  not  ask  you 
here,  because  I  want  you  to  myself.  I  will  have  a  private 
room  at  Parker's  coffee-house  in  Covent  Garden.  We  will 
sup  at  seven.  When  you  go  there  ask  for  Mr.  Church's 
room,  and  make  yourself  comfortable  there  until  I  come, 
for  I  can  never  answer  for  my  own  hours.  In  that  way  we 
shall  be  free  from  all  chance  of  interruption,  and  I  can 


THE    NORTH    COACH  323 

pick  your  brains  undisturbed.  You  will  remember  the  day 
and  hour.  Should  there  be  any  change  in  this  private  mat- 
ter of  yours,  do  not  hesitate  to  come  to  me  here." 

Tony  Peters,  their  guide  and  adviser,  reported  favourably 
as  to  the  people  with  whom  the  highwayman  was  lodging. 

"The  house  is  kept  by  the  widow  of  an  usher  at  the 
palace.  She  entertains  gentlemen  from  the  country  who 
come  up  on  business  at  the  courts  of  justice,  or  with  people 
of  influence  at  court.  I  have  ascertained  that  our  man 
passes  as  a  well-to-do  trader  of  Salisbury,  who  comes  up 
two  or  three  times  a  year  to  transact  business,  and  to  enjoy 
for  a  short  time  the  pleasures  of  town.  He  is  liberal  in 
his  payments,  and  is  held  in  high  respect  by  the  woman, 
whose  only  objection  to  him  as  a  lodger  is  the  late  hours  he 
keeps.  He  is  a  crafty  fellow  this,  for  by  always  going  to 
the  same  house,  and  comporting  himself  with  moderation, 
he  secures  a  place  of  retirement,  where,  however  close  the 
quest  after  him,  there  will  be  no  suspicion  whatever  as  to 
his  profession  on  the  part  of  the  people  he  is  with. 

"  My  man  found  out  all  these  matters  from  the  servant 
wench.  We  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  taking  him  quietly. 
The  woman  will  be  so  terrified  when  I  tell  her  what  he  is 
wanted  for,  that  she  will  do  anything  rather  than  have  a 
scandal  that  would  damage  the  reputation  of  the  house." 

He  assured  Charlie  that  he  need  give  the  matter  no 
further  thought.  All  the  arrangements  would  be  made,  and 
unless  he  heard  farther  from  him  he  and  Harry  would  only 
have  to  present  themselves  at  the  door  of  the  house  in  ques- 
tion at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Saturday. 

The  evening  with  the  duke  passed  off  pleasantly.  The 
general's  questions  turned  not  so  much  upon  the  actual 
fighting  as  upon  the  organization  of  the  Swedes,  their 
methods  of  campaigning,  of  victualling  the  army,  of  hut- 
ting themselves  in  winter,  the  maintenance  of  discipline  in 
camp,  and  other  military  points  that  would  be  of  service  to 
him  in  his  next  campaign. 


324  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

"Your  king  is  very  wise  in  so  strictly  repressing  all  plun- 
dering and  violence,"  he  said.  "Only  so  can  a  general 
maintain  an  army  in  an  enemy's  country.  If  the  peasantry 
have  confidence  in  him,  and  know  that  they  will  get  a  fair 
price  for  their  produce,  they  will  bring  it  into  the  market 
gladly,  in  spite  of  any  orders  their  own  government  may 
issue  to  the  contrary.  I  am  determined  that  if  I  again  lead 
an  English  army  in  the  field  I  will  follow  King  Charles' 
example;  though  I  shall  find  it  more  difficult  to  enforce  my 
orders  than  he  does,  for  he  is  king  as  well  as  general,  and 
his  Swedes  are  quiet,  honest  fellows,  while  my  army  will  be 
composed  of  ne'er-do-wells — of  men  who  prefer  to  wear  the 
queen's  uniform  to  a  prison  garment,  of  debtors  who  wish 
to  escape  their  creditors,  and  of  men  who  find  village-life 
too  quiet  for  them,  and  prefer  to  see  the  world,  even  at  the 
risk  of  being  shot,  to  honest  labour  on  the  farms.  It  requires 
a  stern  hand  to  make  a  disciplined  army  out  of  such  mate- 
rials, but  when  the  time  of  fighting  comes  one  need  wish 
for  no  better." 

Before  parting  with  them  the  duke  inquired  farther  into 
their  arrangements  for  the  arrest  of  the  highwayman,  and 
said  he  should  expect  to  see  them  on  Saturday,  and  that  if 
he  heard  that  all  had  gone  well  he  would  at  once  take  steps 
for  bringing  the  matter  before  a  court  that  would  deal  with 
it.  The  young  men  felt  restless  as  the  day  approached. 
They  had  seen  no  more  of  Tony,  but  they  felt  complete 
confidence  in  him,  and  were  sure  that  they  would  hear  if 
any  difficulties  arose;  but  though  throughout  Friday  they 
did  not  quit  their  lodging,  no  message  reached  them. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


A    CONFESSION 

AT  the  appointed  hour,  as  the  clock  of  the  Abbey  was 
striking,  they  gave  three  gentle  knocks  at  the  door  of 
the  house.  It  was  immediately  opened  by  Tony,  who  held 
a  candle  in  his  hand,  closed  the  door  quietly  behind  them, 
and  then  led  them  into  a  parlour. 

"  Well,  Tony,  I  suppose  all  has  gone  well,  as  we  have  not 
heard  from  you." 

"  There  was  nothing  to  tell  you,  sir,  and,  indeed,  I  have 
been  mightily  busy.  In  the  first  place,  I  got  two  days' 
leave  from  the  courts,  and  went  down  myself  in  a  light  cart 
with  the  boys  and  two  men.  That  way  I  made  sure  that 
there  should  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  houses  the  boys  were 
to  watch.  The  two  men  I  sent  on  ten  miles  beyond  the 
farthest  tavern  there  to  watch  the  road,  and  if  any  horse- 
man goes  by  to-night  to  track  him  down.  This  evening  I 
came  here.  I  brought  with  me  one  of  my  comrades  from 
the  courts,  and  we  told  the  good  woman  the  character  of 
the  lodger  we  had  seen  leave  the  house  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
before.  She  almost  fainted  when  we  showed  her  our 
badges,  and  said  we  must  arrest  him  on  his  return  as  a 
notorious  highwayman  and  breaker  of  the  laws.  She  ex- 
claimed that  her  house  would  be  ruined,  and  it  took  some 
time  to  pacify  her  by  saying  that  we  would  manage  the  job 

325 


326  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

SO  quietly  that  no  one  in  the  house  need  know  of  it,  and 
that  we  would,  if  possible,  arrange  it  so  that  the  place  of 
his  arrest  should  not  be  made  public.  At  that  she  at  once 
consented  to  do  all  that  we  wished  her.  We  searched  his 
room  carefully,  and  found  some  watches,  rings,  and  other 
matters  that  answered  to  the  description  of  those  stolen 
from  a  coach  that  was  stopped  near  Dorking  three  weeks 
ago.  My  mate  has  taken  them  away.  As  she  was  afraid 
that  a  scuffle  in  the  bed-room  might  attract  the  attention  of 
the  four  other  gentlemen  who  are  lodging  here,  I  arranged 
that  it  should  be  done  at  the  door.  In  that  case,  if  there 
was  any  inquiry  in  the  morning,  she  could  say  that  it  was 
some  drunken  fellow  who  had  come  to  the  house  by  mistake 
and  had  tried  to  force  his  way  in.  So  she  put  this  parlour 
at  our  disposal,  and  as  I  have  got  the  shutters  up  and  the 
curtains  drawn,  there  is  no  fear  of  his  noticing  the  light, 
for  as  we  may  have  some  hours  to  wait,  it  is  more  pleasant 
to  have  a  candle  than  to  sit  in  the  dark." 

"Does  she  come  down  to  let  him  in?  "  Harry  asked. 

"No,  sir,  the  door  is  left  on  the  latch.  She  says  he  finds 
his  way  up  to  his  room  in  the  dark,  and  the  candle  and  a 
tinder-box  are  always  placed  handy  for  him  there.  We 
will  take  our  shoes  off  presently,  and  when  we  hear  footsteps 
come  up  to  the  door  and  stop  we  will  blow  out  the  candle 
and  steal  out  into  the  passage  so  as  to  catch  him  directly 
he  closes  the  door.  I  have  got  handcuffs  here,  some  rope, 
and  a  gag." 

"Very  well,  then.  I  will  undertake  the  actual  seizing  of 
him,"  Charlie  said.  "You  slip  on  the  handcuffs,  and  you, 
Harry,  if  you  can  find  his  throat  in  the  dark,  grip  it  pretty 
tightly  till  Tony  can  slip  the  gag  into  his  mouth.  Then  he 
can  light  the  candle  again,  and  we  can  then  disarm  and 
search  him,  fasten  his  legs,  and  get  him  ready  to  put  in  the 
cart." 

The  hours  passed  slowly,  although  Tony  did  his  best  to 


A   CONFESSION 


327 


divert  them  by  telling  stories  of  various  arrests  and  cap- 
tures in  which  he  had  been  concerned.  The  clock  had  just 
struck  five  when  they  heard  a  step  coming  up  the  quiet 

street. 

"That  is  likely  to  be  the  man,"  Tony  said.     "  It  is  about 

the  hour  we  expected  him." 

He  blew  out  the  candle  and  opened  the  door  quietly,  and 
they  went  out  into  the  passage.     A  moment  later  the  step 
stopped  at  the  door,  the  latch  clicked,  and  it  was  opened. 
A  man  entered  and  closed  the  door  behind  him.     As  he 
did  so  Charlie,  who  had  marked  his  exact  position,  made  a 
step  forward  and  threw  his  arms  round  him.     The  man 
gave  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  alarm,  and  then  strug- 
gled fiercely,  but  he  was  in  the  hands  of  one  far  stronger 
than  himself.     A  moment  later  he  felt  that  his  assailant 
was  not  alone,  for  he  was  grasped  by  the  throat,  and  at  the 
same  time  he  felt  something  cold  close  round  his  ^^Tlsts. 
There  was  a  sharp  click,  and  he  knew  that  he  was  hand- 
cuffed.    Then  a  low  voice  said,  "  I  arrest  you  in  the  name 
of  the  queen  for  being  concerned  in  the  robbery  of  the 
Portsmouth  coach  at  Dorking."     Then  a  gag  was  forced 
bet^veen  his  teeth.     Bewildered  at  the  suddenness  of  the 
attack,  he  ceased  to  struggle,  and  remained  quiet  m  the 
grasp  of  his  captors  till  there  was  the  sound  of  the  striking 
of  flint  and  steel  hard  by.     Then  Tony  came  out  of  the 
parlour  with  a  lighted  candle,  the  highwayman  was  lifted 
into  the  room,  and  the  door  was  shut.     He  then  saw  that 
his  captors  were  three  in  number.     There  were  two  young 
gentlemen  and  a  smaller  man,  who,  as  he  looked  at  him, 
held  out  a  badge,  and  showed  that  he  was  an  officer  of  the 
law      His  pistols  and  sword  were  removed,  then  his  pockets 
were  searched,  and  two  watches  and  three  purses,  with  some 
rings  and  bracelets,  were  taken  out  and  laid  on  the  table. 
"It  came  off,  you  see,"  Tony  said  to  Charlie. 
"Well,  Master  Nicholson,  to  use  one  of  your  aliases,  of 


328  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

which  you  have,  no  doubt,  a  score  or  more,  you  may  con- 
sider yourself  under  arrest  not  only  for  the  robbery  of  the 
Portsmouth  coach  three  weeks  ago  but  of  the  North  coach 
last  evening." 

The  prisoner  started.  It  seemed  impossible  to  him  that 
that  affair  should  be  known  yet,  still  less  his  connection 
with  it. 

"You  know  what  that  means?"  Tony  went  on  grimly, 
"Tyburn.  Now  I  am  going  to  make  you  a  little  safer  still. 
You  have  been  a  hard  bird  to  catch,  and  we  don't  mean  to 
let  you  slip  through  our  fingers  again." 

So  saying  he  bound  his  arms  closely  to  his  side  with  a 
rope,  and  then  with  a  shorter  piece  fastened  his  ankles 
securely  together. 

"Now  I  will  fetch  the  cart."  He  had  been  gone  but  five 
minutes  when  they  heard  a  vehicle  stop  at  the  door.  The 
others  lifted  the  highwayman  by  his  shoulders  and  feet,  car- 
ried him  out,  and  laid  him  in  the  cart.  Tony  closed  the 
door  quietly  behind  them,  and  then  jumped  up  by  the  side 
of  the  driver,  who  at  once  started  the  horse  at  a  brisk  trot. 
They  crossed  Westminster  Bridge,  and  after  another  ten 
minutes'  drive  stopped  at  a  small  house  standing  back  from 
the  road,  in  a  garden  of  its  own. 

"We  will  carry  him  in,  Tony,"  Charlie  said,  "if  you  will 
get  the  door  open."  They  carried  him  in  through  the  door, 
at  which  a  woman  was  standing,  into  a  room,  where  they 
saw  to  their  satisfaction  a  blazing  fire.  The  prisoner  was 
laid  down  on  the  ground.  Leaving  him  to  himself,  Charlie 
and  his  friends  sat  down  to  the  table,  which  was  laid  in 
readiness.  Two  cold  chickens,  and  ham,  and  bread  had 
been  placed  on  it. 

"Now,  Tony,  sit  down;  you  must  be  as  hungry  as  we 
are." 

"Thank  you,  gentlemen;  I  am  going  to  have  my  break- 
fast in  the  kitchen  with  my  wife." 


A    CONFESSION  329 

As  he  spoke  the  woman  came  in  with  two  large  tankards 
full  of  steaming  liquid,  whose  odour  at  once  proclaimed  it 
to  be  spiced  ale.  "Well,  wife,  we  have  done  a  good  night's 
work,"  Tony  said. 

"A  good  night's  work  for  all  of  us,"  Charlie  put  in. 
"Your  husband  has  done  us  an  immense  service,  Mrs. 
Peters,  and  when  our  fathers  come  to  their  own  again  they 
will  not  forget  the  service  he  has  rendered  us." 

When  they  had  made  a  hearty  meal  Tony  was  called  in 
again.  "Now,  Tony,  we  will  proceed  to  business.  You 
have  got  pen  and  ink  and  paper,  I  suppose?  " 

"I  have  everything  ready,  sir.  I  will  clear  away  this 
table  so  as  to  have  all  in  order." 

When  this  was  done  the  highwayman  was  lifted  up  and 
placed  in  a  chair,  and  the  gag  removed  from  his  mouth. 

"You  don't  remember  us,  I  suppose,  my  man?  "  Charlie 
began.  "The  last  time  I  saw  you  was  when  I  brought  my 
stick  down  on  your  head  when  you  were  listening  outside 
a  window  at  Lynnwood." 

An  exclamation  of  surprise  broke  from  the  prisoner. 

"Yes,  I  am  Charlie  Carstairs,  and  this  gentleman  is 
Harry  Jervoise.  By  the  way,  I  have  made  a  mistake:  I 
have  seen  you  twice  since  then.  The  first  time  was  in  a 
wayside  tavern  some  twelve  miles  beyond  Barnet  nine  days 
ago;  the  second  time  was  at  another  tavern  in  Barnet. 
You  will  remember  that  a  mischievous  boy  threw  a  stone 
and  broke  one  of  the  lattice  panes  of  the  window  where 
you  were  sitting  talking  over  this  little  affair  of  the  North 
coach." 

A  deep  execration  broke  from  the  lips  of  the  highway- 
man. 

"Now  you  see  how  we  know  all  about  it,"  Charlie  went 
on.  "  Now  it  entirely  depends  on  yourself  whether  in  the 
course  of  another  hour  we  shall  hand  you  over  to  a  magis- 
trate as  the  leader  of  the  gang  who  robbed  the  North  coach 


330  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

and  took  part  in  the  robbery  near  Dorking — we  have  found 
some  of  the  watches  and  other  plunder  in  your  bed-room, 
— or  whether  you  escape  trial  for  these  offences.  You 
may  be  wanted  for  other  similar  affairs." 

"Yes,  sir,"  Tony  put  in.  "Now  I  see  him  he  answers 
exactly  to  the  description  of  a  man  the  of^cers  have  been 
in  search  of  for  a  long  time.  He  goes  by  the  name  of 
Dick  Cureton,  and  has  been  engaged  in  at  least  a  dozen 
highway  robberies  to  my  knowledge." 

"You  see,"  Charlie  went  on,  "there  is  no  doubt  what- 
ever what  will  happen  if  we  hand  you  over  to  the  officers. 
You  will  be  hung  at  Tyburn  to  a  moral  certainty.  There 
is  no  getting  out  of  that.  Now,  on  the  other  hand,  you 
have  the  alternative  of  making  a  clean  breast  of  your  deal- 
ings with  John  Dormay,  of  how  he  put  you  at  Lynnwood 
to  act  as  a  spy,  how  you  hid  those  two  letters  he  gave  you 
in  my  father's  cabinet,  and  how  he  taught  you  the  lying 
story  you  afterwards  told  before  the  magistrates  at  Lancas- 
ter. After  having  this  story  written  down  you  will  sign  it 
in  the  presence  of  this  officer  and  his  wife,  and  you  will 
also  repeat  that  story  before  any  tribunal  before  which  you 
may  be  brought. 

"I  don't  know  whether  this  is  a  hanging  matter,  but  at 
any  rate  I  can  promise  that  you  shall  not  be  hung  for  it. 
The  Duke  of  Marlborough  has  taken  the  matter  in  hand, 
and  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  be  able  to  obtain  for  you  some 
lesser  punishment  if  you  make  a  clean  breast  of  it.  I 
don't  say  that  you  will  be  let  free;  you  are  too  dangerous 
a  man  for  that;  but  at  any  rate  your  punishment  will  not 
be  a  heavy  one — perhaps  nothing  worse  than  agreeing  to 
serve  in  the  army.  You  understand  that  in  that  case  noth- 
ing whatever  will  be  said  as  to  your  being  Dick  Cureton 
or  of  your  connection  with  these  last  coach  robberies. 
You  will  appear  before  the  court  simply  as  Robert  Nichol- 
son, who,  having  met  Captain   Jer/oise   and    myself,  felt 


A  CONFESSION  331 

constrained  to  confess  the  grievous  wrong  he  did  to  our 
fathers  and  other  gentlemen  at  the  bidding  of,  and  for 
money  received  from,  John  Dormay." 

"I  do  not  need  any  time  to  make  up  my  mind,"  the 
highwayman  said.  "  I  am  certainly  not  going  to  be  hung 
for  the  advantage  of  John  Dormay,  who  has  paid  me  poorly 
enough,  considering  that  it  was  through  me  that  he  came 
into  a  fine  estate.  I  take  it  that  you  give  me  your  word  of 
honour,  that  if  I  make  a  clean  breast  of  it  and  stick  to  my 
story  afterwards,  this  other  business  shall  not  be  brought 
up  against  me." 

"Yes,  we  both  promise  that  on  our  word  of  honour." 

"Very  well  then;  here  goes." 

The  story  he  told  was  in  precise  accordance  with  the 
suspicions  that  his  hearers  had  entertained.  He  had  been 
tramping  through  the  country,  sometimes  pilfering,  some- 
times taking  money  as  a  foot-pad.  He  had  one  day  met 
John  Dormay  and  demanded  his  money;  he  was  armed 
only  with  a  heavy  cudgel,  and  thought  Dormay  was  de- 
fenceless. The  latter,  however,  produced  a  pistol  from 
his  pocket,  and  compelled  him  to  drop  his  stick,  and  then 
taking  him  by  the  collar  made  him  walk  to  his  house.  He 
had  asked  him  questions  as  to  his  previous  life,  and  had 
then  given  him  the  choice  of  going  to  jail  or  of  acting 
under  his  instructions,  in  which  case  he  would  be  well 
rewarded.  Naturally  he  had  chosen  the  second  alternative. 
And  having  him  completely  under  his  thumb,  John  Dor- 
may had  made  him  sign  a  paper  acknowledging  his  attempt 
at  highway  robbery  upon  him. 

The  rest  of  the  story  was  already  known  to  his  hearers. 
He  had  several  times  overheard  the  conversations  in  the 
dining-room,  but  had  gathered  nothing  beyond  talk  of  what 
would  be  done  if  the  Pretender  came  over.  John  Dormay 
had  taught  him  the  story  of  the  assassination  plot,  and  had 
given  him  the  letters  to  hide.     He  now  swore  that  the 


332  A  Jacobite  exile 

whole  story  was  false,  and  had  been  told  entirely  at  the 
dictation  of  John  Dormay,  and  from  fear  of  the  conse- 
quence to  himself  if  he  refused  to  obey  his  orders.  When 
he  had  finished  Tony's  wife  was  called  in,  and  she  made 
her  mark  and  her  husband  signed  his  name  as  witnesses  to 
the  signature  of  Robert  Nicholson. 

"Now,  I  hope  I  may  have  something  to  eat,"  the  man 
said  recklessly.  "  I  am  ready  to  tell  my  story  to  whomso- 
ever you  like,  but  am  not  ready  to  be  starved." 

"Give  him  food,  Tony,"  Charlie  said,  "and  keep  a  sharp 
look-out  after  him.  We  will  go  across  and  show  this  paper 
to  the  duke." 

"I  will  bring  the  matter  at  once  before  the  council,"  the 
general  said,  when  Charlie  gave  him  the  document  and 
briefly  stated  its  contents.  "There  is  a  meeting  at  three 
o'clock  to-day.  I  shall  see  the  queen  previously,  and  will 
get  her  to  interest  herself  in  the  matter,  and  to  urge  that 
justice  shall  be  done  without  any  delay.  I  will  arrange 
that  the  man  shall  be  brought  before  the  council  at  the 
earliest  date  possible.  If  you  will  come  here  this  evening 
I  may  be  able  to  tell  you  more.  Come  at  eight.  I  shall 
be  in  then  to  dress,  as  I  take  supper  at  the  palace  at  nine." 

"  I  have  ventured  to  promise  the  man  that  he  shall  not 
be  hung,  my  lord." 

"You  were  safe  in  doing  so;  the  rogue  deserves  the 
pillory  or  branding,  but  as  he  was  almost  forced  into  it, 
and  was  the  mere  instrument  in  the  hands  of  another,  it  is 
not  a  case  for  hanging  him.  He  might  be  shipped  off  to 
the  plantations  as  a  rogue  and  a  vagabond.  What  are  you 
smiling  at?  " 

"  I  was  thinking,  sir,  that  as  you  said  there  were  a  good 
many  of  that  class  in  the  army,  the  man  might  have  the 
option  of  enlisting  given  him." 

"And  so  of  getting  shot  in  the  Netherlands  instead  of 
getting  hung  at  Tyburn,  eh?  Well,  I  will  see  what  I  can 
do." 


A   CONFESSION  333 

At  eight  o'clock  they  again  presented  themselves.  The 
duke  looked  at  them  critically. 

"You  will  do,"  he  said.  "Put  your  cloaks  on  again  and 
come  with  me.  Where  do  you  suppose  that  you  are 
going?" 

"Before  the  council,  sir,"  Harry  suggested. 

"Bless  me,  you  don't  suppose  that  your  business  is  so 
pressing  that  ministers  have  been  summoned  in  haste  to  sit 
upon  it.  No,  you  are  going  to  sup  with  the  queen.  I 
told  her  your  story  this  afternoon.  She  was  much  inter- 
ested in  it,  and  when  I  informed  her  that,  young  as  you 
both  were,  you  had  fought  behind  Charles  of  Sweden  in  all 
his  desperate  battles,  and  that  he  had  not  only  promoted 
you  to  the  rank  of  captain,  but  that  he  had  under  his  own 
hand  given  you  a  document  expressing  his  satisfaction  at 
your  conduct  and  bravery,  she  said  that  I  must  bring  you 
to  supper  at  the  palace.  I  told  her  that,  being  soldiers, 
you  had  brought  with  you  no  clothes  fit  for  appearance  at 
court;  but  as  at  little  gatherings  there  is  no  ceremony,  she 
insisted  that  I  should  bring  you  as  you  are.  My  wife  Sarah 
went  on  half  an  hour  ago  in  her  chair.  There  will  proba- 
bly be  two  others,  possibly  Godolphin  and  Harley,  but 
more  likely  some  courtier  and  his  wife.  You  do  not  feel 
nervous,  I  hope?  After  being  accustomed  to  chat  with 
Charles  of  Sweden,  to  say  nothing  of  the  Czar  of  Russia, 
Carstairs,  you  need  not  feel  afraid  of  Queen  Anne,  who  is 
good-nature  itself." 

Nevertheless,  both  the  young  men  felt  nervous.  After 
being  conducted  up  some  private  stairs,  the  duke  led  them 
into  an  oak-panelled  room  of  comparatively  small  size, 
lighted  by  numerous  tapers,  which  displayed  the  rich  hang- 
ings and  furniture.  A  lady  was  sitting  by  the  fire.  A  tall, 
handsome  woman,  with  a  somewhat  imperious  face,  stood 
on  the  rug  before  her  talking  to  her,  while  a  pleasant- 
looking  man,  who  by  his  appearance  and  manner  might 


334  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

have  been  taken  for  a  country  squire,  was  sitting  opposite 
playing  with  the  ears  of  a  spaniel  lying  on  his  knee.  The 
tall  lady  moved  aside  as  they  entered,  and  Charlie  noticed 
a  little  glance  of  affectionate  welcome  pass  between  her  and 
the  duke — for  the  pair  were  devotedly  attached  to  each 
other — then  he  bowed  to  the  seated  lady. 

"Madam,"  he  said,  "allow  me  to  present  to  you  the  two 
young  officers  of  whose  bravery  Charles  of  Sweden  has  writ- 
ten so  strongly,  and  whose  parents  have  with  other  gentle- 
men been  driven  from  the  land  by  villainy." 

The  young  men  bowed  deeply.  Anne  held  out  her  hand, 
and  each  in  turn  bending  on  one  knee,  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"There,"  she  said,  "let  that  be  the  beginning  and  end  of 
ceremony.  This  is  not  a  court  gathering,  but  a  family 
meeting.  I  want  to  hear  your  stories,  and  I  want  you  for 
the  time  to  forget  that  I  am  Anne  of  England.  I  know 
that  your  fathers  have  always  been  faithful  to  our  house,  and 
I  hope  that  their  sons  will  ere  long  do  as  good  service  for 
me  as  they  have  done  for  a  foreign  prince.  You  have  not 
seen  these  gentlemen  yet,  Sarah?  " 

"No,  my  husband  has  kept  them  to  himself." 

"I  have  had  but  little  time  to  give  them,  Sarah,  and 
wanted  it  all  to  question  them  on  the  Swedish  modes  of 
warfare." 

"And  you  thought  I  should  be  an  interruption?  I  am 
glad  to  meet  you  both,  nevertheless.  Since  my  husband 
likes  you,  I  am  sure  to  do  so;  "  and  she  smiled  pleasantly 
as  she  gave  a  hand  to  each. 

They  were  then  introduced  to  the  Prince  Consort,  George 
of  Denmark.  At  this  moment  supper  was  announced. 
The  queen  and  the  duchess  went  in  together,  followed  by 
the  four  gentlemen. 

"  Lord  Godolphin  and  Mr.  Harley  were  to  have  been  of 
the  party  to-night,"  the  queen  said  as  she  took  her  seat  at 
table,  "  but  I  put  them  off  till  to-morrow,  as  I  wanted  to 
hear  these  gentlemen's  story." 


A    CONFESSION  335 

During  the  meal  the  conversation  was  gay.  As  soon  as 
the  last  dish  was  removed  the  party  returned  to  the  other 
room.  Then  the  queen  called  upon  the  young  men  to  tell 
their  story.  Charlie  began,  and  related  up  to  the  time 
when  he  had  aided  in  the  rescue  of  his  father  from  the 
hands  of  his  escort.  Harry  told  the  story  of  their  military 
experiences,  and  then  Charlie  related  his  narrow  escape  at 
Warsaw,  his  adventure  with  the  brigands,  and  the  fight  with 
the  wolves. 

"That  is  the  most  exciting  of  all,"  the  queen  said.  "I 
think  that  even  you,  general,  would  rather  have  gone  through 
the  battle  of  Narva  than  have  spent  that  night  among  the 
wolves." 

"That  would  I,  indeed,  madam,  and  I  doubt  if  I  should 
have  got  as  well  through  it  as  Captain  Carstairs  did.  I  am 
sure,  madam,  you  will  agree  with  me  that  these  young  gen- 
tlemen ought  to  be  fighting  under  our  flag  rather  than  that 
of  Sweden.  There  is  no  blame  to  them,  for  they  were  most 
unjustly  driven  from  the  country;  but  I  hope  that  by  Mon- 
day at  this  time  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  presenting  a 
document  for  your  majesty's  signature,  stating  that  in  the 
opinion  of  the  council  a  very  grave  miscarriage  of  justice 
has  taken  place,  and  that  the  gentlemen  whose  estates  were 
four  years  ago  confiscated  are  proved  to  be  innocent  of  the 
crime  of  which  they  were  accused,  and  are  true  and  faithful 
subjects  of  your  majesty,  and  that  the  proceedings  against 
them  are  hereby  quashed,  and  their  estates  restored  to  them. 
I  had  the  honour  of  relating  to  you  this  afternoon  the  man- 
ner in  which  these  gentlemen  have  succeeded  in  bringing 
the  truth  to  light." 

Shortly  aftenvards  the  party  broke  up,  the  queen  speaking 
most  graciously  to  each  of  the  young  men.  On  Monday 
morning  they  received  a  summons  to  appear  before  the 
council  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  to  produce  one 
Robert  Nicholson,  whose  evidence  was  required  in  a  matter 


336  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

of  moment.  They  hired  a  carriage  and  took  the  highway- 
man with  them  to  St.  James's,  and  were  conducted  to  the 
council  chamber,  where  they  found  Lord  Godolphin,  the 
Marquis  of  Normanby,  Mr.  Harley,  and  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough,  together  with  two  judges,  before  whom  the 
depositions  in  the  case  of  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs  and  his 
friends  had  been  laid. 

Lord  Normanby,  as  privy-seal,  took  the  chair,  and  briefly 
said  that :  Having  heard  there  had  been  a  grievous  miscar- 
riage of  justice,  he  had  summoned  them  to  hear  important 
evidence  which  was  produced  by  Captain  Carstairs  and 
Jervoise,  officers  in  the  service  of  the  king  of  Sweden. 
"What  have  you  to  say,  Captain  Carstairs?  " 

"I  have,  sir,  only  to  testify  that  this  man  who  stands 
beside  me  is  Robert  Nicholson,  who  was  in  my  father's 
employment  for  two  years,  and  was,  I  believe,  the  principal 
witness  against  him.  Captain  Jervoise  can  also  testify  to 
his  identity.  I  now  produce  the  confession,  voluntarily 
made  by  this  man,  and  signed  in  the  presence  of  witnesses." 

He  handed  in  the  confession,  which  was  read  aloud  by  a 
clerk  standing  at  the  lower  end  of  the  table.  A  murmur  of 
indignation  arose  from  the  council  as  he  concluded. 

"You  have  acted  the  part  of  a  base  villain,"  Lord  Nor- 
manby said  to  Nicholson.  "  Hanging  would  be  too  good 
for  such  a  caitiff.  What  induced  you  to  make  this  confes- 
sion? " 

"I  have  long  repented  my  conduct,"  the  man  said.  "I 
was  forced  into  acting  as  I  did  by  John  Dormay,  who  might 
have  had  me  hung  for  highway  robbery.  I  would  long  ago 
have  told  the  truth  had  I  known  where  to  find  the  gentlemen 
I  have  injured;  and  meeting  them  by  chance  the  other  day 
I  resolved  upon  making  a  clean  breast  of  it,  and  to  take 
what  punishment  your  lordships  may  think  proper,  hoping, 
however,  for  your  clemency  on  account  of  the  fact  that  I 
was  driven  to  act  in  the  way  I  did." 


A   CONFESSION  337 

One  of  the  judges,  who  had  the  former  depositions  before 
him,  asked  him  several  questions  as  to  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  put  the  papers  into  Sir  Marmaduke's  cabinet.  He 
replied  that  he  found  the  key  in  a  vase  on  the  mantel,  and 
after  trying  several  locks  with  it,  found  that  it  fitted  the 
cabinet. 

"His  statement  agrees,  my  lords,"  the  judge  said,  "with 
that  made  by  Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs  in  his  examinations. 
He  then  said  that  he  could  not  account  for  the  papers  being 
in  his  cabinet,  for  it  was  never  unlocked,  and  that  he  kept 
the  key  in  a  vase  on  the  mantel  where  none  would  be  likely 
to  look  for  it." 

In  a  short  time  all  present  were  requested  to  withdraw, 
but  in  less  than  five  minutes  they  were  again  called  in. 

"  Gentlemen,"  Lord  Normanby  said  to  the  young  officers, 
"I  have  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  the  council  are  of 
opinion  that  the  innocence  of  your  fathers  and  friends  of 
the  foul  offence  of  which  they  were  charged  is  clearly 
proven,  and  that  they  have  decided  that  the  sentence  passed 
against  them  in  their  absence  shall  be  quashed.  They 
will  also  recommend  to  her  majesty  that  the  sentence 
of  confiscation  against  them  all  shall  be  reversed.  As 
to  you,  sir,  seeing  that  you  have,  however  tardily,  endeav- 
oured to  undo  the  evil  you  have  caused,  we  are  disposed  to 
deal  leniently,  and,  at  the  request  of  the  Duke  of  Marlbor- 
ough, we  have  agreed,  if  you  are  ready  to  leave  the  country 
and  enlist  at  once  as  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  Flanders,  and 
there  to  expiate  your  fault  by  fighting  in  the  service  of 
your  country,  we  will  not  recommend  that  any  proceedings 
shall  be  taken  against  you.  But  if  at  any  time  you  return 
hither,  save  as  a  soldier  with  a  report  of  good  conduct,  this 
affair  will  be  revived,  and  you  will  receive  the  full  punish- 
ment you  deserve.  For  the  present  you  will  be  lodged  in 
prison,  as  you  will  be  needed  to  give  evidence  when  the 
matter  of  John  Dormay  comes  up  for  hearing." 


388  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

Nicholson  was  at  once  removed  in  custody.  The  two 
young  officers  retired,  an  usher  bringing  them  a  whispered 
message  from  Marlborough  that  they  had  better  not  wait  to 
see  him  as  the  council  might  sit  for  some  time  longer,  but 
that  if  they  would  call  at  his  house  at  five  o'clock,  after 
his  official  reception,  he  would  see  them. 

"  This  is  more  than  we  could  have  hoped  for,"  Harry  said 
as  they  left  St.  James's.  "A  fortnight  ago,  although  I  had 
no  intention  of  giving  up  the  search,  I  began  to  think  that 
our  chances  of  ever  setting  eyes  on  that  rascal  were  of  the 
slightest;  and  now  everything  has  come  right.  The  man 
has  been  found,  he  has  been  made  to  confess  the  whole 
matter,  the  case  has  been  heard  by  the  council,  our  fathers 
are  free  to  return  to  England,  and  their  estates  are  restored 
to  them;  at  least,  the  council  recommends  the  queen,  and 
we  know  the  queen  is  ready  to  sign.  So  that  it  is  as  good 
as  done." 

"It  seems  too  good  to  be  true." 

"It  does,  indeed,  Charlie.  They  will  be  delighted 
across  the  water.  I  don't  think  my  father  counted  at  all 
upon  our  finding  Nicholson,  or  of  our  getting  him  to  con- 
fess; but  I  think  he  had  hoped  that  the  duke  would  interest 
himself  to  get  an  order  that  no  further  proceedings  should 
be  taken  in  the  matter  of  the  alleged  plot.  That  would 
have  permitted  them  to  return  to  England.  He  spoke  to 
me  several  times  of  his  knowledge  of  the  duke  when  he  was 
a  young  man;  but  Churchill  he  said,  was  a  time-server, 
and  has  certainly  changed  his  politics  several  times;  and 
if  a  man  is  fickle  in  politics  he  may  be  so  in  his  friendships. 
It  was  a  great  many  years  since  they  had  met,  and  Marl- 
borough might  not  have  been  inclined  to  acknowledge  one 
charged  with  so  serious  a  crime;  but,  as  he  said  to  me  be- 
fore I  started,  matters  have  changed  since  the  death  of 
William.  Marlborough  stands  far  higher  with  Anne  than 
he  did  with  William.     His  leanings  have  certainly  been 


A  CONFESSION  339 

all  along  Jacobite,  and  now  that  he  and  the  Tories  are  in 
power  and  the  Whigs  are  out  of  favour,  Marlborough  could 
if  he  chose  do  very  much  for  us.  It  is  no  longer  a  crime 
to  be  a  Jacobite,  and  indeed  they  say  that  the  Tories  are 
intending  to  upset  the  act  of  succession  and  bring  in  a 
fresh  one  making  James  Stuart  the  successor  to  Anne. 

"Still,  even  if  we  had  succeeded  so  far  by  Marlborough's 
influence  that  our  fathers  could  have  returned  to  England 
without  fear  of  being  tried  for  their  lives,  I  do  not  think 
that  either  of  them  would  have  come  so  long  as  the  charge 
of  having  been  concerned  in  an  assassination  plot  was  hang- 
ing over  them.  Now  that  they  are  cleared,  and  can  come 
back  with  honour,  it  will  be  different  altogether.  It  will 
be  glorious  news  for  them.  Of  course  we  shall  start  as 
soon  as  we  get  the  official  communication  that  the  estates 
are  restored.  We  shall  only  have  to  go  back  to  them,  for, 
as  you  know,  yours  is  the  only  estate  that  has  been  granted 
to  anyone  else.  The  others  were  put  up  for  sale,  but  no 
one  would  bid  for  them,  as  the  title-deeds  would  have  been 
worth  nothing  if  King  James  came  over.  So  they  have 
only  been  let  to  farmers,  and  we  can  walk  straight  in  again 
without  dispossessing  anyone." 

"I  don't  know  what  to  do  about  John  Dormay,"  Charlie 
said.  "There  is  no  doubt  that  from  what  the  judge  said 
they  will  prosecute  him." 

"So  they  ought  to,"  Harry  broke  in.  "He  has  striven 
by  false  swearing  to  bring  innocent  men  to  the  scaffold. 
Why,  it  is  worse  than  murder." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Harry,  and  if  I  were  in  your 
place  I  would  say  just  as  strongly  as  you  do  that  he  ought 
to  be  hung;  but  you  see  I  am  differently  situated.  The 
man  is  a  kinsman  of  ours  by  marriage.  My  cousin  Celia 
has  been  always  most  kind  to  me,  and  is  my  nearest  rela- 
tive after  my  father.  She  has  been  like  an  aunt,  and  in- 
deed did  all  she  could  to  supply  the  place  of  a  mother  to 


340  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

me,  and  I  am  sure  my  little  sweetheart  Ciceley  has  been  like 
a  sister.  This  must  have  been  a  most  terrible  trial  to  them. 
It  was  a  bad  day  for  cousin  Celia  when  she  married  that 
scoundrel,  and  I  am  sure  that  he  has  made  her  life  a  most 
unhappy  one.  Still,  for  their  sake,  I  would  not  see  his 
villainy  punished  as  it  deserves,  nor  indeed  for  our  own, 
since  the  man  is  to  a  certain  extent  our  kinsman.  Besides, 
Harry,  as  you  must  remember  well  enough,  Ciceley  and  I 
in  boy  and  girl  fashion  used  to  say  we  should  be  some  day 
husband  and  wife,  and  I  have  never  since  seen  anyone 
whom  I  would  so  soon  marry  as  my  bonny  little  cousin; 
and  if  Ciceley  is  of  the  same  mind,  maybe  some  day  or 
other  she  may  come  to  Lynnwood  as  its  mistress,  but  that 
could  hardly  be  if  her  father  were  hung  for  attempting  to 
swear  away  the  life  of  mine." 

"No,  indeed,  Charlie.  I  know  how  fond  you  were  of 
your  cousin." 

"  Indeed,  Harry,  there  was  a  talk  between  my  father  and 
cousin  Celia,  a  few  months  before  the  troubles  came,  of  a 
formal  betrothal  between  us,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
coolness  between  our  fathers  it  v/ould  have  taken  place." 

"Yes,  I  remember  now  your  telling  me  about  it,  Charlie. 
Well,  what  is  to  be  done?  for  I  agree  with  you  that  if  pos- 
sible John  Dormay  must  escape  from  the  punishment  he 
deserves.     But  how  is  it  to  be  done?  " 

"Well,  Harry,  a  week  or  two  will  make  no  difference  to 
our  fathers.  They  will  have  no  expectation  of  hearing 
from  us  for  a  long  time  to  come.  I  should  say  it  were  best 
that  I  should  go  down  and  warn  him,  and  I  shall  be  glad 
if  you  will  go  with  me." 

"Of  course  I  will  go,"  Harry  said.  "Indeed,  it  were 
best  that  the  warning  came  from  me.  The  man  is  a  villain 
and  a  reckless  one,  and  in  his  passion  when  he  hears  that 
his  rascality  is  known,  the  prize  for  which  he  schemed 
snatched  from  him,  and  his  very  life  in  danger,  might  even 


A   CONFESSION  341 

seek  to  vent  his  rage  and  spite  upon  you.  Now  it  is  clear, 
Charlie,  that  you  could  not  very  well  kill  a  man  and  after- 
wards marry  his  daughter.  The  thing  would  be  scarce 
seemly.  But  the  fellow  is  no  kinsman  of  mine.  He  has 
grievously  injured  us,  and  I  could  kill  him  without  the 
smallest  compunction,  and  thereby  rid  the  world  of  a 
scoundrel  and  you  of  a  prospective  father-in-law  of  the 
most  objectionable  kind." 

Charlie  laughed.  ''No,  Harry;  we  will  have  no  killing. 
We  will  go  down  and  see  him  together.  We  will  let  him 
know  that  the  orders  are  probably  already  on  the  road  for 
his  arrest,  and  that  he  had  best  lose  not  an  hour,  but  at 
once  cross  the  water.  I  should  not  think  that  he  would 
wish  to  encumber  himself  with  women,  for  I  never  thought 
he  showed  the  least  affection  to  either  his  wife  or  daughter. 
At  any  rate  we  will  see  that  he  does  not  take  them  with 
him.  I  will  tell  him  that  if  he  goes,  and  goes  alone,  I 
will  do  my  best  to  hush  up  the  matter,  and  that  so  long  as 
he  remains  abroad  the  tale  of  his  villainy  shall  never  be 
told,  but  that,  if  he  returns,  the  confession  of  Nicholson 
shall  be  published  throughout  the  country,  even  if  no  pros- 
ecution is  brought  against  him." 

When  they  called  upon  the  duke  he  shook  them  warmly 
by  the  hand. 

"  This  parchment  is  the  royal  assent  to  the  decision  of 
the  council  that  the  estates  of  those  inculpated  in  the 
alleged  plot  for  the  assassination  of  the  late  king  should  be 
forthwith  restored  to  them,  it  having  been  clearly  proved 
that  they  have  been  falsely  accused  of  the  said  crime,  and 
that  her  majesty  is  satisfied  that  these  gentlemen  are  her 
true  and  loyal  subjects.  I  think  I  may  say,"  the  duke  con- 
tinued with  a  smile,  "  that  no  affair  of  state  has  ever  been 
so  promptly  conducted  and  carried  through." 

"  We  feel  how  deeply  indebted  we  are  for  our  good  fort- 
une to   your   kindness,  your   grace,"  Charlie   said.     "We 


342  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

know  that  but  for  you  months  might  have  elapsed,  even 
years,  before  we  could  have  obtained  such  a  result,  even 
after  we  had  the  confession  of  Nicholson  in  our  hands." 

"  I  am  glad  in  every  way  to  have  been  able  to  bring  this 
about,"  the  duke  said;  "in  the  first  place,  because  I  have 
been  able  to  right  a  villainous  piece  of  injustice;  in  the 
second,  because  those  injured  were  loyal  gentlemen,  with 
no  fault  save  their  steadfast  adherence  to  the  cause  of  the 
Stuarts;  and  lastly,  because  one  of  these  gentlemen  was  my 
own  good  friend.  Mat  Jervoise,  of  whose  company  I  have 
so  many  pleasant  recollections.  I  hope  that  as  soon  as  you 
have  informed  your  fathers  that  their  names  are  cleared  and 
their  property  restored,  you  will  think  of  what  I  said,  and 
will  decide  to  quit  the  service  of  Sweden  and  enter  that  of 
your  queen. 

"An  officer  fighting  for  a  foreign  monarch  is  after  all  but 
a  soldier  of  fortune,  however  valiantly  he  fights.  He  is 
fighting  for  a  cause  that  is  not  his  own,  and  though  he  may 
win  rewards  and  honours,  he  has  not  the  satisfaction  that 
all  must  feel  who  have  risked  their  lives,  not  for  gold,  but 
in  the  service  of  their  country.  But  I  do  not  want  any 
answer  from  you  on  that  head  now,  it  is  a  matter  for  you  to 
decide  upon  after  due  thought;  I  only  say  that  I  shall  go 
out  early  in  the  spring  to  take  command  of  the  army,  and 
that  if  you  present  yourselves  to  me  before  I  leave,  I  shall 
be  glad  to  appoint  you  on  my  personal  staff,  with  the  same 
rank  you  now  hold.  You  can  now  leave  the  country  with- 
out any  farther  trouble.  As  to  the  affair  of  the  man  Dormay, 
a  messenger  has  been  sent  off  this  afternoon  with  an  order 
to  the  magistrates  at  Lancaster  to  arrest  him  on  the  charge 
of  suborning  false  evidence,  by  which  the  lives  of  some  of 
her  majesty's  subjects  were  endangered,  and  of  forging 
letters  whereby  such  evil  designs  might  be  furthered.  I  do 
not  suppose  I  shall  see  you  again  before  you  sail,  for 
to-morrow  we  go  down  to   our   country  place,  and   may 


A   CONFESSION  343 

remain  there  some  weeks.  I  may  say  that  it  was  the  desire 
to  get  your  affair  finished  before  we  left  town  that  conduced 
somewhat  to  the  speed  with  which  it  has  been  carried 
through." 

After  again  thanking  the  duke  most  warmly  for  his  kind- 
ness, and  saying  that  they  would  lay  his  offer  before  their 
fathers,  and  that  their  own  inclinations  were  altogether  in 
favour  of  accepting  it,  the  young  men  took  their  leave. 

"It  is  unfortunate  about  Dormay." 

"Most  unfortunate,"  Harry  said. 

"  I  think  if  we  start  to-morrow  morning,  Harry,  we  shall 
be  in  time.  There  is  no  reason  why  the  messenger  should 
travel  at  any  extraordinary  speed,  and  as  he  may  be  detained 
at  Lancaster,  and  some  delay  may  arise  before  officers  are 
sent  up  to  Lynnwood  to  make  the  arrest,  we  may  be  in 
time.  We  must  take  a  note  of  the  date,  it  is  one  we  shall 
remember  all  our  lives.  It  is  the  25th  of  November,  and 
we  will  keep  it  up  as  a  day  of  festivity  and  rejoicing  as  long 
as  we  live." 

"That  will  we,"  Harry  agreed.  "It  shall  be  the  occa- 
sion of  an  annual  gathering  of  those  who  got  into  trouble 
from  those  suppers  at  Sir  Marmaduke's.  I  fancy  the  others 
are  all  in  France,  but  their  friends  will  surely  be  able  to  let 
them  know  as  soon  as  they  hear  the  good  news.  I  think 
we  shall  have  a  stormy  ride  to-morrow,  the  sky  looks  very 
wild  and  threatening." 

"  It  does,  indeed;  and  the  wind  has  got  up  very  much  in 
the  last  hour." 

"Yes,  we  are  going  to  have  a  storm,  beyond  all  doubt." 

The  wind  got  up  hourly,  and  when  before  going  to  bed 
they  went  to  pass  an  hour  at  a  tavern,  they  had  difficulty  in 
making  their  way  against  it.  Several  times  in  the  night 
they  were  awoke  by  the  gusts,  which  shook  the  whole  house, 
and  they  heard  the  crashing  of  falling  chimney-pots  above 
the  din  of  the  gale.     They  had  arranged  to  start  as  soon  as 


344  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

it  was  light,  and  had  the  evening  before  been  to  a  posting- 
inn  and  engaged  a  carriage  with  four  horses  for  the  journey 
down  to  Lancashire. 

"There  is  no  starting  to-day,  gentlemen,"  the  landlord 
said,  as  they  went  down  to  breakfast  by  candle-light.  "  I 
have  looked  out,  and  the  street  is  strewn  with  chimney-pots 
and  tiles.  Never  do  I  remember  such  a  gale,  and  hour  by 
hour  it  seems  to  get  worse.  Why,  it  is  dangerous  to  go 
across  the  street." 

"  Well,  we  must  try,"  Charlie  said,  "  whatever  the  weather; 
it  is  a  matter  of  almost  life  and  death." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  you  must  please  yourselves,  but  I  am 
mistaken  if  any  horse-keeper  will  let  his  animals  out  on 
such  a  day  as  this." 

As  soon  as  they  had  eaten  their  breakfasts  they  wrapped 
themselves  up  in  their  cloaks,  pressed  their  hats  over  their 
heads,  and  sallied  out.  It  was  not  until  they  were  in  the 
streets  that  they  realized  how  great  was  the  force  of  the 
gale.  Not  only  were  the  streets  strewn  with  tiles  and  frag- 
ments of  chimney-pots,  but  there  was  light  enough  for  them 
to  see  that  many  of  the  upper  windows  of  the  houses  had 
been  blown  in  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  Tiles  flew  about 
like  leaves  in  autumn,  and  occasionally  gutters  and  sheets 
of  lead,  stripped  from  the  roofs,  flew  along  with  prodigious 
swiftness. 

"  This  is  as  bad  as  a  pitched  battle,  Charlie.  I  would  as 
lief  be  struck  by  a  cannon-ball  as  by  one  of  those  strips  of 
lead." 

"Well,  we  must  risk  it,  Harry;  we  must  make  the  attempt 
anyhow." 

It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  they  made  their 
way  along.  Although  powerful  young  fellows,  they  were 
frequently  obliged  to  cling  to  the  railings  to  prevent  them- 
selves from  being  swept  away  by  the  gusts,  and  they  had 
more  than  one  narrow  escape  from  falling  chimneys.     Al- 


A   CONFESSION  345 

though  the  distance  they  had  to  traverse  was  not  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  it  took  them  half  an  hour  to  accomplish 
it.  The  post-master  looked  at  them  in  surprise  as  they 
entered  his  office  flushed  and  disordered. 

"  Why,  gentlemen,  you  are  not  thinking  of  going  on  such 
a  day  as  this?  it  would  be  a  sheer  impossibility.  Why,  the 
carriage  would  be  blown  over,  and  if  it  wasn't,  no  horses 
would  face  this  wind." 

"  We  would  be  willing  to  pay  anything  you  may  like  to 
ask,"  Charlie  said. 

"It  ain't  a  question  of  money,  sir.  If  you  were  to  buy 
the  four  horses  and  the  carriage  you  would  be  no  nearer, 
for  no  post-boy  would  be  mad  enough  to  ride  them;  and 
even  supposing  you  got  one  stage,  which  you  never  would 
do,  you  would  have  to  buy  horses  again,  for  no  one  would 
be  fool  enough  to  send  his  animals  out.  You  could  not  do 
it,  sir.  Why,  I  hear  there  are  half  a  dozen  houses  within 
a  dozen  yards  of  this  that  have  been  altogether  unroofed, 
and  it  is  getting  worse  instead  of  better:  if  it  goes  on  like 
this,  I  doubt  if  there  will  be  a  steeple  standing  in  London 
to-morrow.     Listen  to  that!  " 

There  was  a  tremendous  crash,  and  running  out  into  the 
street,  they  saw  a  mass  of  beams  and  tiles  lying  in  the 
roadway — a  house  two  doors  away  had  been  completely 
unroofed.  They  felt  that  in  such  a  storm  it  was  really 
impossible  to  proceed,  and  accordingly  returned  to  their 
lodgings,  performing  the  distance  in  a  fraction  of  the  time 
it  had  before  taken  them.  For  some  hours  the  gale  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  fury.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen  in 
the  streets.  Occasional  heavy  crashes  told  of  the  damage 
that  was  being  wrought,  and  at  times  the  house  shook  so 
that  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  fall. 

Never  was  such  a  storm  known  in  England.  The  damage 
done  was  enormous.  The  shores  were  strewn  with  wrecks; 
twelve  ships  of  the  royal  navy,  with  fifteen  hundred  men, 


346  A  JACOBITE   EXILE 

were  lost,  and  an  enormous  number  of  merchant  vessels. 
Many  steeples,  houses,  and  buildings  of  all  kinds  were 
overthrown,  and  the  damage  in  London  alone  was  estimated 
at  a  million  pounds.  There  were  few  who  went  to  bed  that 
night;  many  thought  that  the  whole  city  would  be  destroyed. 
Towards  morning,  however,  the  fury  of  the  gale  somewhat 
abated,  and  by  nightfall  the  danger  had  passed. 

The  next  morning  the  two  friends  started,  and  posted 
down  to  Lancashire.  The  journey  was  a  long  one.  In 
many  places  the  road  was  completely  blocked  by  fallen 
trees,  and  sometimes  by  the  ruins  of  houses  and  barns.  In 
the  former  case  long  detours  had  often  to  be  made  through 
villainous  roads,  where  the  wheels  sank  almost  to  their 
axles,  and  in  spite  of  the  most  liberal  bribes  to  post-boys 
and  post-masters,  the  journey  occupied  four  days  longer 
than  the  usual  time.  At  last  they  reached  the  lodge-gate 
of  Lynnwood.  A  man  came  out  from  the  cottage.  He 
was  the  same  who  had  been  there  in  Sir  Marmaduke's  time. 
Charlie  jumped  out  of  the  post-chaise. 

"Why,  Norman,  don't  you  know  me?" 

The  man  looked  hard  at  him.  "No,  sir,  I  can't  say  as 
I  do." 

"What,  not  Charlie  Carstairs?" 

"  Bless  me,  it  is  the  young  master !  "  the  man  said.  "  To 
think  of  my  not  knowing  you.  But  you  have  changed 
wonderful.  Why,  sir,  I  have  been  thinking  of  you  often 
and  often,  and  most  of  all  the  last  three  days,  but  I  never 
thought  of  you  like  this." 

"Why  the  last  three  days,  Norman?" 

"Haven't  you  heard  the  news,  sir?  " 

"  No,  I  have  heard  riothing.  Captain  Jervoise  and  I — 
my  old  friend,  you  know,  Norman — have  posted  all  the 
way  from  London,  and  should  have  been  here  six  days  ago 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  storm." 

"Well,  sir,  there  is  bad  news;  at  least  I  don't   know 


CHARLIE   COMES    HOME   AGAIN. 


A   CONFESSION  347 

whether  you  will  consider  it  bad.  Most  of  the  folk  about 
here  looks  at  it  the  other  way.  But  the  man  in  there  shot 
hisself  three  days  ago.  A  magistrate  with  some  men  from 
Lancaster  came  over  here.  They  say  it  was  to  arrest  him, 
but  I  don't  know  the  rights  of  the  case.  Anyhow,  it  is  said 
they  read  some  paper  over  to  him,  and  then  he  opened  a 
drawer  at  the  table  where  he  was  sitting  and  pulled  out 
a  pistol  and  shot  hisself  before  anyone  could  stop  him. 
There  have  been  bad  goings  here  of  late,  Mr.  Charles,  very 
bad,  especially  for  the  last  year.  He  was  not  friends  with 
his  son,  they  say,  but  the  news  of  his  death  drove  him  to 
drink  worse  than  before,  and  besides,  there  have  been 
dicing  and  all  sorts  of  goings  on,  and  I  doubt  not  but  that 
the  ladies  have  had  a  terrible  time  of  it.  There  were  several 
men  staying  in  the  house,  but  they  all  took  themselves  off 
as  soon  as  it  was  over,  and  there  are  only  the  ladies  there 
now.  They  will  be  glad  enough  to  see  you,  I  will  be 
bound." 

Charlie  was  shocked ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  could  not 
but  feel  that  it  was  the  best  thing  that  could  happen,  and 
Harry  freely  expressed  himself  to  that  effect.  "We  won't 
take  the  carriage  up  to  the  house,"  Charlie  said,  after  a 
long  pause.  "Take  the  valises  out  and  bring  them  up  to 
the  house  presently,  Norman." 

He  paid  the  postillion  who  had  brought  them  from  Lan- 
caster, and  stood  quiet  until  the  carriage  had  driven  off. 

"  I  hope  Sir  Marmaduke  is  well,  sir.     We  have  missed 
him  sorely  here." 

"  He  was  quite  well  when  I  saw  him  ten  weeks  ago.  I 
hope  he  will  be  here  before  long.  I  am  happy  to  say  that 
his  innocence  of  the  charge  brought  against  him  has  been 
proved,  and  his  estates  and  those  of  Mr.  Jervoise  and  the 
other  gentlemen  have  been  restored  by  the  queen." 

"That  is  good  news,  indeed  sir,"  the  man  exclaimed. 
"The  best  I  have  heard  for  many  a  long  year.  Everyone 
about  here  will  go  wild  with  joy." 


348  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

"Then  don't  mention  it  at  present,  Norman.  Any  re^ 
joicings  would  be  unseemly  while  John  Dormay  is  lying 

dead  there." 

"Shall  I  go  up  with  you,  Charlie,  or  will  you  go  alone?  " 
Harry  asked.  "Of  course  there  are  some  horses  here, 
and  you  could  lend  me  one  to  drive  over  to  our  own  place." 

"  You  shall  do  that  presently,  Harry,  and  tell  them  the 
news.  But  come  in  now.  You  know  my  cousin  and 
Ciceley,  it  will  be  all  the  better  that  you  should  go  in  with 

me." 

His  cousin  received  Charlie  with  a  quiet  pleasure.  She 
was  greatly  changed  since  he  had  seen  her  last,  and  her 
face  showed  that  she  had  suffered  greatly.  Ciceley  had 
grown  into  a  young  woman,  and  met  him  with  delight. 
Both  were  pleased  to  see  Harry. 

.  "We  were  talking  of  you  but  now,  Charlie,"  Mrs.  Dor- 
may  said.  "  Ciceley  and  I  agreed  that  we  would  remove  at 
once  to  our  old  place,  and  that  this  should  be  kept  up  for 
you  should  you  at  any  time  be  able  to  return.  Now  that 
Queen  Anne  is  on  the  throne  and  the  Tories  are  in  power 
we  hoped  that  you,  at  least,  would  ere  long  be  permitted 
to  return.     How  is  your  dear  father?  " 

"  He  is  well,  cousin,  and  will  I  trust  be  here  ere  long. 
Our  innocence  of  the  charge  has  been  proved,  the  proceed- 
ings against  us  quashed,  and  the  Act  of  Confiscation  against 
my  father,  Mr.  Jervoise,  and  the  others  reversed." 

"Thank  God  for  that,"  Mrs.  Dormay  said  earnestly,  and 
Ciceley  gave  an  exclamation  of  pleasure.  "That  accounts 
then  for  what  has  happened  here.  I  do  not  want  to  talk 
about  it,  Charlie.  You  may  imagine  how  Ciceley  and  I 
have  suffered.  But  he  was  my  husband,  spare  him  for  my 
sake." 

"I  will  never  allude  to  the  subject  again,  cousin,"  Char- 
lie said.  "But  I  must  tell  you  that  Harry  and  I  have 
posted  down  from  London  in  hopes  of  being  in  time  to 


A  COXFESSION  349 

warn  him  and  enable  him  to  escape.     I  need  not  say  we 
did  so  because  he  was  your  husband  and  Ciceley's  father." 

Harry  then  turned  the  subject  by  a  remark  as  to  the 
effects  of  the  storm,  then  Ciceley  asked  questions  as  to  their 
life  abroad,  and  there  was  so  much  to  tell  and  to  listen  to 
that  even  ^Mrs.  Dormay's  face  brightened.  Harry  willingly 
allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  remain  for  the  night, 
and  to  ride  over  to  his  place  in  the  morning. 

The  funeral  took  place  two  days  later.  Charlie  went  as 
sole  mourner.  "He  was  my  kinsman,"  he  said  to  Harry, 
"and  though  I  can  pretend  no  sorrow  at  his  death,  my 
attendance  at  the  funeral  will  do  something  towards  stop- 
ping talk,  and  will  make  it  easier  for  my  cousin." 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Dormay  and  Ciceley  returned  to  Rock- 
ley,  whose  tenant  had  fortunately  left  a  few  weeks  before. 
Charlie  and  Harry  both  went  over  with  them  and  stayed 
for  three  or  four  days,  and  they  were  glad  to  see  that  Mrs. 
Dormay  seemed  to  be  shaking  off  the  weight  of  her  trouble, 
and  was  looking  more  like  her  old  self.  They  then  rode 
to  Lancaster,  and  returned  to  London  by  coach.  They 
crossed  to  Gottenburg  by  the  first  vessel  that  was  sailing, 
and  Sir  Marmaduke  was  delighted  to  hear  the  success  of 
their  mission,  and  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  return  at  once 
as  master  of  Lynn  wood. 

"  Luck  favoured  you  somewhat,  Charlie,  in  throwing 
that  vagabond  in  your  way,  but  for  all  else  we  have  to  thank 
you  both  for  the  manner  in  which  you  have  carried  the 
affair  out  and  captured  your  fox.  As  for  John  Dormay, 
'tis  the  best  thing  that  could  have  happened.  I  have  often 
thought  it  over  while  you  have  been  away,  and  have  said  to 
myself  that  the  best  settlement  of  the  business  would  be 
that  you,  Harry,  when  you  obtained  proofs,  should  go 
down,  confront  him  publicly,  and  charge  him  with  his 
treachery,  force  him  to  draw,  and  then  run  him  through 
the  body.     Charlie  would  of  course  have  been  the  proper 


350  A   JACOBITE   EXILE 

person  in  my  absence  so  to  settle  the  matter,  but  he  could 
not  well  have  killed  my  cousin's  husband,  and  it  would  have 
added  to  the  scandal.  However,  the  way  it  has  turned  out 
is  bettter  altogether.  It  will  be  only  a  nine  days'  wonder. 
The  man  has  been  cut  by  all  the  gentry,  and  when  it  is 
known  that  he  shot  himself  to  escape  arrest,  many  will  say 
that  it  was  a  fit  ending,  and  will  trouble  themselves  no 
more  concerning  him.  You  are  coming  back  with  me  I 
hope,  Charlie.  I  have  seen  but  little  of  you  for  the  last 
four  years,  and  if  you  are,  as  you  say,  going  with  the  Duke 
of  Marlborough  to  the  war  in  the  spring,  I  don't  want  to 
lose  sight  of  you  again  till  then.  You  can  surely  resign 
your  commission  here  without  going  back  to  the  army, 
especially  as  you  have  leave  of  absence  until  the  end  of 
March." 

Charlie  hesitated. 

"  I  think  so  too,"  Harry  said.  "  I  know  that  the  colonel 
told  the  king  the  whole  story  when  he  asked  for  leave  for 
me  and  obtained  that  paper.  He  told  my  father  that  the 
king  was  greatly  interested,  and  said:  *I  hope  the  young 
fellows  will  succeed,  though  I  suppose  if  they  do,  I  shall 
lose  two  promising  young  officers.'  So  he  will  not  be  sur- 
prised when  he  hears  that  we  have  resigned.  As  for  me,  I 
shall  of  course  go  on  at  once.  My  father  will,  I  am  sure, 
be  delighted  to  return  home.  The  hardships  have  told  upon 
him  a  good  deal,  and  he  has  said  several  times  of  late  how 
much  he  wished  he  could  see  his  way  to  retiring.  I  think, 
too,  he  will  gladly  consent  to  my  entering  our  own  service 
instead  of  that  of  Sweden.  He  would  not  have  done  so,  I 
am  sure,  had  William  been  still  on  the  throne.  Now  it  is 
altogether  different." 

"  Well,  Harry,  if  you  do  see  the  king,  as  it  is  possible 
you  may  do,  or  if  you  do  not,  you  might  speak  to  the  col- 
onel, and  ask  him  in  my  name  to  express  to  Charles  my 
regret  at  leaving  his  service,  in  which  I  have  been  so  well 


A   CONFESSION  351 

treated,  and  say  how  much  I  feel  the  kindly  interest  that 
his  majesty  has  been  pleased  to  take  in  me.  If  there  had 
been  any  chance  of  the  war  coming  to  an  end  shortly,  I 
should  have  remained  to  see  it  out;  but  now  that  the  Polish 
business  may  be  considered  finished  it  will  be  continued 
with  Russia,  and  may  go  on  for  years,  for  the  czar  is  just  as 
obstinate  and  determined  as  Charles  himself." 

Accordingly  the  next  morning  Charlie  sent  in  the  formal 
resignation  of  his  commission  to  the  war  minister  at  Stock- 
holm, and  Harry  left  by  ship  for  Revel.  Sir  Marmaduke 
placed  his  business  affairs  in  the  hands  of  a  Scotch  merchant 
at  Gottenburg,  with  instructions  to  call  in  the  money  he 
had  lent  on  mortgage,  and  two  days  later  took  passage  with 
Charlie  for  Hull,  whence  they  posted  across  the  country  to 
Lancaster,  and  then  drove  to  Lynnwood. 

As  soon  as  the  news  spread  that  Sir  Marmaduke  had 
returned  the  church  bells  rang  a  joyous  peal,  bonfires  were 
lighted,  the  tenants  flocked  in  to  greet  him,  and  the  gentry 
for  miles  round  rode  over  to  welcome  and  congratulate 
him. 

The  next  morning  he  and  Charlie  rode  over  to  Rockley. 

"Oh,  Marmaduke,"  cried  Celia,  "I  am  happy  indeed  to 
know  that  you  are  back  again.  I  have  never  known  a  day's 
happiness  since  you  went." 

"Well,  don't  let  us  think  any  more  about  it,  Celia,"  Sir 
Marmaduke  said,  as  he  kissed  her  tenderly.  "  Let  us  look 
on  it  all  as  an  ugly  dream.  It  has  not  been  without  its 
advantages,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned.  It  has  taken  me 
out  of  myself  and  broadened  my  view  of  things.  I  have  not 
had  at  all  an  unpleasant  time  of  it  in  Sweden,  and  shall 
enjoy  my  home  all  the  more  now  that  I  have  been  away 
from  it  for  a  while.  As  to  Charlie,  it  has  made  a  man  of 
him.  He  has  gained  a  great  deal  of  credit,  and  had  oppor- 
tunities of  showing  that  he  is  made  of  good  stuff;  and  now 
he  enters  upon  life  with  every  advantage,  and  has  a  start, 


352  A   JACOBITE    EXILE 

indeed,  such  as  very  few  young  fellows  can  have.  He 
enters  our  army  as  a  captain  under  the  eye  of  Marlborough 
himself,  with  a  reputation  gained  under  that  of  the  greatest 
soldier  in  Europe.  So  we  have  no  reason  to  regret  the  past, 
cousin,  and  on  that  score  you  have  no  cause  for  grief.  As 
to  the  future,  I  trust  that  it  will  be  bright  for  both  of  us, 
and  I  think,"  he  added  meaningly,  "our  former  plans  for 
our  children  are  likely  to  be  some  day  realized." 

Four  years  later,  indeed,  the  union  that  both  parents  had 
at  heart  took  place  during  one  of  the  pauses  of  the  fierce 
struggle  between  the  British  forces  under  Marlborough,  and 
the  French.  At  Blenheim,  Ramillies,  and  Oudenarde,  and 
in  several  long  and  toilsome  sieges,  Charlie  had  distin- 
guished himself  greatly,  and  was  regarded  by  Marlborough 
as  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  trustworthy  of  his  officers. 
He  had  been  twice  severely  wounded,  and  had  gained  the 
rank  of  colonel.  Harry  Jervoise — who  had  had  a  leg  shot 
away  below  the  knee  by  a  cannon-ball  at  Ramillies,  and 
had  then  left  the  army  with  the  rank  of  major — was,  on  the 
same  day  as  his  friend,  married  to  the  daughter  of  one  of 
the  gentlemen  who  had  been  driven  into  exile  with  his 
father. 

In  the  spring  Charlie  again  joined  the  army,  and  com- 
manded a  brigade  in  the  desperate  struggle  on  the  hill  of 
Malplaquet,  one  of  the  hardest  fought  battles  in  the  history 
of  war.  Peace  was  made  shortly  afterwards,  and  at  the 
reduction  of  the  army  that  followed  he  went  on  half -pay, 
and  settled  down  for  life  at  I>ynnwood,  where  Tony  Peters 
and  his  wife  had,  at  the  death  of  the  former  occupant  of 
the  lodge,  been  established. 

When  Harry  Jervoise  returned  to  the  Swedish  head- 
quarters with  the  news  that  his  father  was  cleared,  he  was  the 
bearer  of  a  very  handsome  present  from  Charlie  to  his  faith- 
ful servant  Stanislas,  who  had  on  their  return  from  Poland 
been  at  once  employed  by  Count  Piper  on  other  service. 


A   CONFESSION  353 

When,  years  afterwards,  the  young  Pretender  marched 
south  with  the  Highland  clans,  neither  Charlie  nor  Harry 
were  among  the  gentlemen  who  joined  him.  He  had  their 
good  wishes,  but  having  served  in  the  British  army  they 
felt  that  they  could  not  join  the  movement  in  arms  against 
the  British  crown;  and  indeed  the  strong  Jacobite  feel- 
ings of  their  youth  had  been  greatly  softened  down  by 
their  contact  with  the  world,  and  they  had  learned  to 
doubt  much  whether  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts  would 
tend  in  any  way  to  the  benefit  or  prosperity  of  Britain. 
They  felt  all  the  more  obliged  to  stand  aloof  from  the 
struggle,  inasmuch  as  both  had  sons  in  the  army  that  had 
fought  valiantly  against  the  French  at  Dettingen  and  Fonte- 
noy.  The  families  always  remained  united  in  the  closest 
friendship,  and  more  than  one  marriage  took  place  between 
the  children  of  Charlie  Carstairs  and  Harry  Jervoise. 


THE    END 


Xortocois  iBrcss : 

J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith. 

Boston,  Mass  ,  U  S.A. 


"Wherever  English  is  spoken  one  imagines  that  Mr.  Henty's 
name  is  known.  One  cannot  enter  a  schoolroom  or  look  at  a 
boy's  bookshelf  without  seeing  half-a-dozen  of  his  familiar 
volumes.  Mr.  Henty  is  no  doubt  the  most  successful  writer 
for  boys,  and  the  one  to  whose  new  volumes  they  look  forward 
every  Christmas  with  most  pleasure." — Review  of  Reviews. 


A   LIST   OF   BOOKS 
FOR  YOUNG   PEOPLE 

•  •  *  By  « * • 

G.  A.  HENTY 


Published  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER^S  SONS 

J53  to  t57  Fifth  Avenue  J'  J>  New  York 

and  by 

BLACKIE  &  SON,  Limited,  GLASGOW 


THIS    YE,AR'S    BOOKS 

•   •    •    ^3  X     •   •  • 

G.    A.    HELNTY. 


*  ^  ^ 


"  Among  writers  of  stories  of  adventures  for  boys  Mr,  Henty 
stands  in  the  very  first  rank." — Academy  (London). 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  INCAS 

A  Tale  of  Adventure  in  Peru.     With  8  full-page  Illustrations  by 
Wal  Paget,  and  Map.    $1.20  net. 

Peru  and  the  hidden  treasures  of  her  ancient  kings  offer  Mr.  Henty 
a  most  fertile  field  for  a  stirring  story  of  adventure  in  his  raostenfjag- 
ing  style.  In  an  effort  to  win  the  girl  of  his  heart,  the  hero  penetrates 
into  the  wilds  of  the  land  of  the  Ineas.  Boys  who  have  learned  to 
look  for  Mr.  Henty's  books  will  follow  his  new  hero  in  his  adventurous 
and  romantic  expedition,  with  absorbing  interest.  It  Is  one  of  the  most 
captivating  tales  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  written. 

WITH  KITCHENER  IN  THE  SOUDAN 

A  Story  of  Atbara  and  Omdurman.     With  10  full-page  Illustra- 
tions.    $1.20  net. 

Mr.  Henty  has  never  combined  history  and  thrilling  adventure  more 
skillfully  than  in  this  extremely  interestmg  story.  It  is  not  in  boy 
nature  to  lay  it  aside  unfinished,  once  begun  ;  and  finished,  the  reader 
finds  himself  in  possession,  not  only  of  the  facts  and  the  true  atmos- 
phere of  Kitchener's  famous  Soudan  campaign,  but  of  the  Gordon 
tragedy  which  preceded  it  by  so  many  years  and  of  which  it  was  the 
outcome. 

WITH   THE   BRITISH  LEGION 

A  Story  of  the  Carlist  Uprising  of  1836.     Illustrated.     $1.20  net. 

Arthur  Hallet,  a  young  English  boy,  finds  himself  in  difficulty  at 
home,  through  certain  harmless  school  escapades,  and  enlists  in  the 
famous  "  British  Legion,"  which  was  then  embarking  for  Spain  to  take 
part  in  the  campaign  to  repress  the  Carlist  uprising  of  1836.  Arthur 
shows  his  mettle  in  the  first  fight,  distinguishes  him^elf  by  daring  work 
in  carrying  an  important  dispatch  to  Madrid,  makes  a  dashing  and 
thrilling  rescue  of  th  sister  of  his  j)atron  and  is  rapidly  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  captain.  In  following  the  adventures  of  the  hero,  the 
reader  obtains,  as  is  usual  with  Mr.  Henty's  stories,  a  most  accurate 
and  interesting  history  of  a  picturesque  campaign. 


BOOKS  FOR    TOUh^G   PEOPLE 


STORIES    BY    G.    A.    HENTY 

"  His  books  have  at  once  the  solidity  of  history  and  the  charm  of 
romance. "-e7ui<r/ia^  of  Education. 


TO  HERAT   AND    CABUL 

A  Story  of  the  First  Afghan  War.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With 
Illustrations.      12mo,  $1.20  net. 

The  greatest  defeat  ever  experienced  by  the  British  Army  was  that 
in  the  Mountain  Passes  of  Afghanistan.  Angus  Cameron,  the  hero  of 
this  book,  having  been  captured  by  the  friendly  Afghans,  was  com- 
pelled to  be  a  witness  of  the  calamity.  His  whole  story  is  an  intensely 
interesting  one,  from  his  boyhood  in  Persia;  his  employment  underthe 
Government  at  Herat;  through  the  defense  of  that  town  against  the 
Persians;  to  Cabul,  where  he  shared  in  all  the  events  which  ended  in 
the  awful  march  through  the  Parses  from  which  but  one  man  escaped. 
Angus  is  always  at  the  point  of  danger,  and  whether  in  battle  or  in 
hazardous  expeditions  shows  how  much  a  brave  youth,  full  of 
resources,  can  do,  even  with  so  treacherous  a  foe.  His  dangers  and 
adventures  are  thrilling,   and  his  escapes  marvellous. 

WITH  ROBERTS  TO  PRETORIA 

A  Tale  of  the  South  African  War.     By  G.  A  Henty.     With  12 
Illustrations.    $1.20  net. 

The  Boer  War  gives  Mr.  Henty  an  unexcelled  opportunity  for  a 
thrilling  story  of  present-day  interest  which  the  author  could  not  fail  to 
take  advantage  of.  Every  boy  reader  will  find  this  account  of  the  ad- 
ventures of  the  young  hero  most  exciting,  and,  at  the  same  time  a 
wonderfully  accurate  description  of  Lord  Roberts's  campaign  to  Preto- 
ria. Boys  have  found  history  in  the  dress  Mr.  Henty  gives  it  anything 
but  dull,  and  the  present  book  is  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

AT  THE  POINT  OF  THE  BAYONET 

A  Tale  of  the  Mahratta  War.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     Illustrated. 

12nio,  $1.20  net. 

One  hundred  years  ago  the  rule  of  the  British  in  India  was  only  partly 
established.  The  powerful  Mahrattas  were  unsubdued,  and  with  their 
skill  in  intrigue,  and  great  military  power,  they  were  exceedingly  dan- 
gerous. The  story  of  "At  the  Point  of  the  Bayonet"  begins  with 
the  attempt  to  conquer  this  powerful  people.  Harry  Lindsay,  an 
Infant  when  bis  father  and  mother  were  killed,  was  saved  by  his 
Mahratta  ayah,  who  carried  him  to  her  own  people  and  brought  him 
up  as  a  native.  She  taught  him  as  best  she  could,  and,  having  told  him 
his  parentage,  sent  him  to  Bombav  to  be  educated.  At  sixteen  he  ob- 
tained a  commission  in  the  English  Army,  and  his  knowledge  of  the 
Mahratta  tongue  combined  with  his  ability  and  braverv  enabled  him  to 
render  great  service  in  the  Mahratta  War,  and  carried  him,  through 
many  frightful  perils  by  land  and  sea,  to  high  rank. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   FlSOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"Mr.   Henty  might  with  entire  propriety  be  called  the  boys' Sir 
Walter  Scott." — Philadelphia  Press. 


IN  THE   IRISH    BRIGADE 

A  Tale  of  War  in  Flanders  and  Spain.    With  13  Illustrations  by 
Charles  M.  Sheldon.    12mo,  $1.50. 

Desmond  Kennedy  is  a  young  Irish  lad  who  left  Ireland  to  join  the 
Irish  Brigade  in  the  service  of  Louis  XIV.  of  France.  In  Paris  he  in- 
curred the  deadly  hatred  of  a  powerful  courtier  from  whom  he  had 
rescued  a  young  girl  who  had  been  kidnapped,  and  his  perils  are  of  ab- 
sorbing interest.  Captured  in  an  attempted  Jacobite  invasion  of  Scot- 
land, he  escaped  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner.  As  aid-de-camp 
to  the  Duke  of  Berwick  he  experienced  thrilling  adventures  in  Flan- 
ders. Transferred  to  the  Army  in  Spain,  he  was  nearly  assassinated, but 
escaped  to  return,  when  peace  was  declared,  to  his  native  land,  having 
received  pardon  and  having  recovered  his  estates.  The  story  is  filled 
with  adventure,  and  the  interest  never  abates. 

OUT   WITH   GARIBALDI 

A   Story  of  the  Liberation  of  Italy.     By  Gr.  A.  Hentt.     With 
8  Illustrations  by  W.  Rainey,  R.I.     12mo,  $1.50. 

Garibaldi  himself  is  the  central  figure  of  this  brilliant  story,  and  the 
little-known  history  of  the  struggle  for  Italian  freedom  is  told  here  in 
the  most  thrilling  way.  From  the  time  the  hero,  a  young  lad,  son  of 
an  English  father  and  an  Italian  mother,  joins  Garibaldi's  band  of 
1,000  men  in  the  first  descent  upon  Sicily,  which  was  garrisoned  by  one 
of  the  large  Neapolitan  armies,  until  the  end,  when  all  those  armies 
are  beaten,  and  the  two  Sicilys  are  conquered,  we  follow  with  the 
keenest  interest  the  exciting  adventures  of  the  lad  in  scouting,  in 
battle,  and  in  freeing  those  in  prison  for  liberty's  sake. 

WITH    BULLER   IN   NATAL 

Or,   A  Born  Leader.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  10  Illustrations 
by  W.  Rainey.    12mo,  $1.50. 

The  breaking  out  of  the  Boer  "War  compelled  Chris  King,  the  hero 
of  the  story,  to  flee  with  his  mother  from  Johannesburg  to  the  sea 
coast.  They  were  with  many  other  Uitlanders,  and  all  suffered  much 
from  the  Boers.  Reaching  a  place  of  safety  for  their  families,  Chris 
and  twenty  of  his  friends  formed  an  independent  company  of  scouts.  In 
this  service  they  were  with  Gen.  Yule  at  Glencoe,  then  in  Ladysmith, 
then  with  Buller.  In  each  place  they  had  many  thrilling  adventures. 
They  were  in  great  battles  and  in  lonely  fights  on  the  Veldt ;  were 
taken  prisoners  and  escaped;  and  they  rendered  most  valuable  service 
to  the  English  forces.  The  story  is  a  most  interesting  picture  of  the 
War  in  South  Africa. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"Surely  Mr.  Henty  should  understand  boys'  tastes  better  than  any 
man  living."— T^  Times. 


WON   BY   THE   SWORD 

A  Tale  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War.    With  12  Illustrations  by 
Charles  M.  Sheldon,  and  four  Plans.     12mo,  $1.50. 

Tbe  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  France,  during  the  time  of  Richelieu, 
of  Mazarin  and  Anne  of  Austria.  The  hero,  Hector  Campbell,  is  the 
orphaned  sou  of  a  Scotch  officer  in  the  French  Army.  How  he  at- 
tracted the  notice  of  Marshal  Turenne  and  of  the  Prmce  of  Conde ; 
how  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Colonel ;  how  he  finally  had  to  leave  France, 
pursued  by  the  deadly  hatred  of  the  Due  de  Beaufort— all  these  and 
much  more  the  story  tells  with  the  most  absorbmg  mterest. 

A  ROVING   COMMISSION 

Or,  Through  the  Black  Insurrection  at  Hayti.    With  13  Illus- 
trations by  WiLLLA-M  Rainey.     12mo,  $1.50. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  Mr.  Henty's  books.  A  story  of 
the  sea,  with  all  its  life  and  action,  it  is  also  full  of  thnllmg  adven- 
tures on  land.  So  it  holds  the  keenest  interest  until  the  end.  Ihe 
scene  is  a  new  one  to  Mr.  Henty's  readers,  being  laid  at  the  time  of  the 
Great  Revolt  of  the  Blacks,  by  which  Hayti  became  independent. 
Toussaint  I'Overture  appears,  and  an  admirable  picture  is  given  of  him 
and  of  his  power. 

NO   SURRENDER 

The   Story  of  the  Revolt  in  La  Vendee.    With  8  Illustrations 
by  Stanley  L.  Wood.    12mo,  $1.50. 

The  revolt  of  La  Vendue  against  the  French  Republic  at  the  time  of 
the  Revolution  forms  the  groundwork  of  this  absorbing  story.  Leigh 
Stansfield,  a  young  English  lad,  is  drawn  into  the  thickest  of  the  con- 
flict Forming  a  company  of  boys  as  scouts  for  the  Vendean  Army, 
he  ereatly  aids  the  peasants.  He  rescues  his  sister  from  the  guillotine, 
and  finally,  after  many  thrilling  experiences,  when  the  cause  of  La 
Vendee  is  lost,  he  escapes  to  England. 

UNDER  WELLINGTON'S  COMMAND 

A  Tale  of  the  Peninsular  War.     With  12  Illustrations  by  Wal 

Paget.    13mo,  $1.50. 

The  dashing  hero  of  this  book,  Terence  O'Connor,  was  the  hero  of 
Mr  Henty's  previous  book,  "  With  Moore  at  Corunna,"  to  which  this 
is  really  a  sequel.  He  is  still  at  the  head  of  the  *  Minho  "  Portuguese 
regiment.  Being  detached  on  independent  and  guerilla  duty  with  his 
regiment,  he  renders  invaluable  service  in  gaining  information  and  in 
harassing  the  French.  His  command,  being  constantly  on  the  edge  of 
the  army,  is  engaged  in  frequent  skirmishes  and  some  most  important 
battles. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

Mr.  Henty  is  the  king  of  story-tellers  for  boys." — Sword  and  Trowel. 


AT  ABOUKIR  AND  ACRE 

A  Story  of  Napoleon's  Invasion  of  Egypt.  With  8  fuU-pagie 
Illustrations  by  William  Rainey,  and  3  Plans.  12mo, 
$1.50. 

The  hero,  having  saved  the  life  of  the  son  of  an  Arab  chief,  is  taken 
into  the  tribe,  has  a  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Pyramids  and  the  revolt 
at  Cairo.  He  is  an  eye-witness  of  the  famous  naval  battle  of  Aboukir, 
and  later  is  in  the  hardest  of  the  defense  of  Acre. 

BOTH  SIDES  THE  BORDER 

A  Tale  of  Hotspur  and  Glendow^er.  With  13  full-page  Illus- 
trations by  Ralph  Peacock.     12mo,  $1.50. 

This  is  a  brilliant  story  of  the  stirring  times  of  the  beginning  of  the 
Wars  of  the  Roses,  when  the  Scotch,  under  Douglas,  and  the  Welsh, 
under  Owen  Glendower,  were  attacking  the  English.  The  hero  of  the 
book  lived  near  the  Scotch  border,  and  saw  many  a  hard  fight  there. 
Entering  the  service  of  Lord  Percy,  he  was  sent  to  Wales,  where  he 
was  knighted,  an  d  where  he  was  captured.  Being  released,  he  returned 
home,  and  shared  in  the  fatal  battle  of  Shrewsbury. 


WITH  FREDERICK  THE  GREAT 

A  Tale  of  the  Seven  Years'  War.     With  12  full-page  Illustra- 
tions.    12nio,  $1.50. 

The  hero  of  this  story  while  still  a  youth  entered  the  service  of 
Frederick  the  Great,  and  by  a  succession  of  fortunate  circumstances 
and  perilous  adventures,  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  Attached  to  the 
staff  of  the  king,  he  rendered  distinguished  services  in  many  battles,  in 
one  of  which  he  saved  the  king's  life.  Twice  captured  and  imprisoned, 
he  both  times  escaped  from  the  Austrian  fortresses. 

A  MARCH  ON  LONDON 

A  Story  of  Wat  Tyler's  Rising.     With  8  full-page  Illustra- 
tions by  W.  H.  Margetson.     12mo,  $1.50. 

The  story  of  Wat  Tyler's  Rebellion  is  but  little  known,  but  the  hero 
of  this  story  passes  through  that  perilous  time  and  takes  part  in  the 
civil  war  in  Flanders  which  followed  soon  after.  Although  young  he 
is  thrown  into  many  exciting  and  dangerous  adventures,  through  which 
he  passes  with  great  coolness  and  much  credit. 


BOOKS    FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"No  country  nor  epoch  of  history  is  there  which  Mr.  Henty  does  not 
know,  and  what  is  really  remarkable  is  that  he  always  writes  well  and 
interestingly." — New  York  Times. 


WITH  MOORE  AT  CORUNNA 

A  Story  of  the  Peninsular  War.  With  12  full-page  Illustra- 
tions by  Wal  Paget.     12mo,  $1.50. 

Terence  O'Connor  is  living  with  his  widowed  father,  Captain  O'Con- 
nor of  the  Mayo  Fusiliers,  with  the  regiment  at  the  time  when  the 
Peninsular  war  began.  Upon  the  regiment  being  ordered  to  Spain, 
Terence  gets  appointed  as  aid  to  one  of  the  generals  of  a  division.  By 
his  bravery  and  great  usefulness  throughout  the  war,  he  is  rewarded 
by  a  commission  as  colonel  in  the  Portuguese  army  and  there  rendered 
great  service. 

AT  AGINCOURT 

A  Tale  of  the  White  Hoods  of  Paris.  With  12  full-page 
Illustrations  by  Walter  Paget.  Crown  8vo,  olivine 
edges,  $1.50. 

The  story  begins  in  a  grim  feudal  castle  in  Normandie.  The  times 
were  troublous,  and  soon  the  king  compelled  Lady  Margaret  de  Villeroy 
with  her  children  to  go  to  Paris  as  hostages.  Guy  Aylmer  went  with 
her,  Paris  was  turbulent.  Soon  the  guild  of  the  butchers,  adopting 
white  hoods  as  their  uniform,  seized  the  city,  and  besieged  the  house 
where  our  hero  and  his  charges  lived.  After  desperate  fighting,  the 
white  hoods  were  beaten  and  our  hero  and  his  charges  escaped  from 
the  city,  and  from  France. 

WITH  COCHRANE  THE  DAUNTLESS 

A  Tale  of  the  Exploits  of  Lord  Cochrane  in  South  American 
Waters.  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  H. 
Margetson.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero  of  this  story  accompanies  Cochrane  as  midshipman,  and 
serves  in  the  war  betwt-en  Chili  and  Peru.  He  has  many  exciting 
adve'  tures  in  battles  by  sea  and  land,  is  taken  prisoner  and  condemned 
to  death  by  the  Inquisition,  but  escapes  by  a  long  and  thrilling  flight 
across  South  America  and  down  the  Amazon. 

ON  THE  IRRAWADDY 

A  Story  of  the  First  Burmese  War.  With  8  full  page  Illus- 
trations by  W.  H.  OvEREND.  Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges, 
11.50. 

The  hero,  having  an  uncle,  a  trader  on  the  Indian  and  Burmese 
rivers,  goes  out  to  join  him.  Soon  after,  war  is  declared  by  Burmah 
against  England  and  he  is  drawn  into  it.  He  has  many  experiences 
and  narrow  escapes  in  battles  and  in  scouting.  With  half-a-dozen 
men  he  rescues  his  cousin  who  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  in  the 
flight  they  are  besieged  in  an  old,  ruined  temple. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"  Boys  like  stirring  adventures,  and  Mr.  Henty  is  a  master  of  this 
method  of  composition." — New  York  Times. 


THROUGH    RUSSIAN  SNOWS 

A  Story  of  Napoleon's  Retreat  from  Moscow.  With  8  full- 
page  Illustrations  by  W.  H.  Overend  and  3  Maps.  Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero,  Julian  Wyatt,  after  several  adventures  with  smugglers,  by 
whom  he  is  handed  over  a  prisoner  to  the  French,  regains  his  freedom 
and  joins  Napoleon's  army  in  the  Russian  campaign.  When  the  terrible 
retreat  begins,  Julian  finds  himself  in  the  rearguard  of  the  French  army, 
fighting  desperately.  Ultimately  he  escapes  out  of  the  general  disaster, 
and  returns  to  England. 

A   KNIGHT   OF    THE   WHITE   CROSS 

A  Tale  of  the  Siege  of  Rhodes.  With  12  full -page  Illustra- 
tions by  Ralph  Peacock,  and  a  Plan.  Crown  8vo,  olivine 
edges,  $1.50. 

Gervaise  Tresham,  the  hero  of  this  story,  joins  the  Order  of  the 
Knights  of  St.  John,  and  proceeds  to  the  stronghold  of  Rhodes.  Sub- 
sequently he  is  appointed  commander  of  a  war-galley,  and  in  his  first 
voyage  destroys  a  fleet  of  Moorish  corsairs.  Durmg  one  of  his  cruises 
the  young  knight  is  attacked  on  shore,  captured  after  a  desperate 
struggle,  and  sold  into  slavery  in  Tripoli.  He  succeeds  in  escaping,  and 
returns  to  Rhodes  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  defense  of  that  fortress. 

THE   TIGER   OF   MYSORE 

A  Story  of  the  War  with  Tippoo  Saib.  With  12  full-page 
Illustrations  by  W.  H.  Margetson,  and  a  Map.  Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

Dick  Holland,  whose  father  is  supposed  to  be  a  captive  of  Tippoo 
Saib,  goes  to  India  to  help  him  to  escape.  He  joins  the  army  under 
Lord  Cornwallis,  and  takes  part  in  the  campaign  againt  Tippoo. 
Afterwards  he  assumes  a  disguise,  enters  Seringapatam,  and  at  last 
he  discovers  his  father  in  the  great  stronghold  of  Savandroog.  The 
hazardous  rescue  is  at  length  accomplished,  and  the  young  fellow's 
dangerous  mission  is  done. 

IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES 

A  Story  of  Adventure  in  Colorado.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With 
8  full-page  Illustrations  by  G.  C.  Hindley.  Crown  8vo, 
olivine  edg-es,  $1.50. 

The  hero,  Tom  Wade,  goes  to  seek  his  uncle  in  Colorado,  who  is  a 
hunter  and  gold-digger,  and  he  is  discovered,  after  many  dangers,  out 
on  the  Plains  with  some  comrades.  Going  in  quest  of  a  gold  mine,  the 
little  band  is  spied  by  Indians,  chased  across  the  Bad  Lands,  and 
overwhelmed  by  a  snowstorm  in  the  mountains. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"  Mr.  Henty  is  one  of  the  best  story-tellers  for  young  people." 

— Spectator. 


WHEN   LONDON   BURNED 

A  Story  of  the  Plague  and  the  Fire.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With 
12  full-page  Illustrations  by  J.  Finnemore.  Crown  8vo, 
olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero  of  this  story  was  the  son  of  a  nobleman  who  had  lost  his 
estates  during  the  troublous  t'  les  of  the  Commonwealth.  During  the 
Great  Plague  and  the  Grea'  '  ire,  Cyril  was  prominent  among  those 
who  brought  help  to  the  pani^  stricken  inhabitants. 

WULF  THE  SAXON 

A  Story  of  the  Norman  Conquest.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With 
12  full-page  Illustrations  by  Ralph  Peacock.  Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50 

The  hero  is  a  young  thane  who  wins  the  favor  of  Earl  Harold  and 
becomes  one  of  his  retinue.  When  Harold  becomes  King  of  England 
Wulf  assists  in  the  Welsh  wars,  and*takes  part  against  the  Norsemen 
at  the  Battle  of  Stamford  Bridge.  When  William  of  Normandy  in- 
vades England,  Wulf  is  with  the  English  host  at  Hastings,  and  stands 
by  his  king  to  the  last  in  the  mighty  struggle. 

ST.  BARTHOLOMEW'S  EVE 

A  Tale  of  the  Huguenot  Wars.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  12 
full-page  Illustrations  by  H.  J.  Draper,  and  a  Map. 
Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero,  Philip  Fletcher,  has  a  French  connection  on  his  mother's 
side.  This  induces  him  to  cross  the  Channel  in  order  to  take  a  share 
in  the  Huguenot  wars.  Naturally  he  sides  with  the  Protestants,  dis- 
tinguishes himself  in  various  battles,  and  receives  rapid  promotion  for 
the  zeal  and  daring  with  which  he  carries  out  several  secret  missions. 

THROUGH  THE  SIKH  WAR 

A  Tale  of  the  Conquest  of  the  Punjaub.  By  G.  A.  Henty. 
With  13  full-page  Illustrations  by  Hal  Hurst,  and  a 
Map.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

Percy  Groves,  a  spirited  English  lad,  joins  his  uncle  in  the  Punjaub, 
where  the  natives  are  in  a  state  of  revolt.  Percy  joins  the  British 
force  as  a  volunteer,  and  takes  a  distinguished  share  in  the  famous 
battles  of  the  Punjaub. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY 

"  The  brightest  of  the  living  writers  whose  office  it  is  to  enchant  the 
boys. — Christian  Leader. 


A  JACOBITE  EXILE 

Being  the  Adventures  of  a  Young  Englishman  in  the  Service 

of  Charles  XII.  of   Sweden.     Bj  G.  A.    Henty.  With  8 

full-page  Illustrations  by  Paul  Hardy,  and  a  Map.  Crown 

8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

Sir  Marmaduke  Carstairs,  a  Jacobite,  is  the  victim  of  a  conspiracy,  and 
he  is  denounced  as  a  plotter  against  the  life  of  King  William.  He  flies 
to  Sweden,  accompanied  by  his  s&n  Charlie,  This  youth  joius  the 
foreign  legion  under  Charles  XII.,  and  takes  a  distinguished  part  in 
several  famous  campaigns  against  the  Russians  and  Poles. 

CONDEMNED  AS  A  NIHILIST 

A  Story  of  Escape  from  Siberia.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  8 
full-page  Illustrations.     Crown  Bvo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero  of  this  story  is  an  English  boy  resident  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Through  two  student  friends  he  becomes  innocently  involved  in 
various  political  plots,  resulting  in  his  seizure  by  the  Russian  police 
and  his  exile  to  Siberia.  He  ultimately  escapes,  and,  after  many  ex- 
citing adventures,  he  reaches  Norway,  and  thence  home,  after  a 
perilous  journey  which  lasts  nearly  two  years. 

BERIC  THE  BRITON 

A  Story  of  the  Roman  Invasion.     By  G.  A.  Henty.     With 

12  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  Parkinson.    Crown  8vo, 

olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

This  story  deals  with  the  invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Roman  legionaries. 
Beric,  who  is  a  boy-chief  of  a  British  tribe,  takes  a  prominent  part  in 
the  insurrection  under  Boadicea ;  and  after  the  defeat  of  that  heroic 
queen  (in  A.  D.  62)  he  coatinues  the  struggle  in  the  fen-country. 
Ultimately  Beric  is  defeated  and  carried  captive  to  Rome,  where  he  is 
trained  in  the  exercise  of  arms  in  a  school  of  gladiators.  At  length  he 
returns  to  Britain,  where  he  becomes  ruler  of  his  own  people. 

IN  GREEK  WATERS 

A  Story  of  the  Grecian  War  of  Independence  (1821-1827).  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  S . 
Stagey,  and  a  Map.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50.    . 

Deals  with  the  revolt  of  the  Greeks  in  1821  against  Turkish  oppres- 
sion. Mr.  Beveridge  and  his  son  Horace  fit  out  a  privateer,  load  it 
with  military  stores,  and  set  sail  for  Greece.  They  rescue  the  Chris- 
tians, relieve  the  captive  Greeks,  and  fight  the  Turkish  war  vessels. 


BOOKS  FOE    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  G. A.  HENTY 

"  No  living  writer  of  books  for  boys  writes  to  better  purpose  than 
Mr.  G.  A.  Henty." — Philadelphia  Press. 


THE  DASH  FOR  KHARTOUM 

A  Tale  of  the  Nile  Expedition.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  10 
full-page  Illustrations  by  John  Schonberg  and  J.  Nash. 
Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

In  the  record  of  recent  British  history  there  is  no  more  captivating 
page  for  boys  than  the  story  of  the  Nile  campaign,  and  the  attempt  to 
rescue  General  Gordon.  For,  in  the  diflSiculties  which  the  expedition 
encountered,  in  the  perils  which  it  overpassed,  and  in  its  final  tragic 
disappointments,  are  found  all  the  excitements  of  romance,  as  well  as 
the  fascination  which  belongs  to  real  events. 

REDSKIN  AND  COW-BOY 

A  Tale  of  the  Western  Plains.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  12 
full-page  Illustrations  by  Alfred  Pearse.  Crown  8vo, 
olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  central  interest  of  this  story  is  found  in  the  many  adventures  of 
an  English  lad,  who  seelis  employment  as  a  cow-boy  on  a  cattle  ranch. 
His  experiences  during  a  "  round-up  "  present  in  picturesque  form  the 
toilsome,  exciting,  adventurous  life  of  a  cow-boy  ;  while  the  perils  of  a 
frontier  settlement  are  vividly  set  forth  in  an  Indian  raid. 


HELD  FAST  FOR  ENGLAND 

A  Tale  of  the  Siege  of  Gibraltar.  By  G.  A.  Henty.  With 
8  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne.  Crown  Svo, 
olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

This  story  deals  with  one  of  the  most  memorable  sieges  in  history — 
the  siege  of  Gibraltar  in  1779-83  by  the  united  forces  of  France  and 
Spain.  With  land  forces,  fleets,  and  floating  batteries,  the  combined 
resources  of  two  great  nations,  this  grim  fortress  was  vainly  besieged 
and  bombarded.  The  hero  of  the  tale,  an  English  lad  resident  in 
Gibraltar,  takes  a  brave  and  worthy  part  in  the  long  defence,  and  it  is 
through  his  varied  experiences  that  we  learn  with  what  bravery,  re- 
source, and  tenacity  the  Rock  was  held  for  England. 


Note. — For  a  list  of  Henty  Books  at  popular  prices,  see  the 
following  page. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOVNG   PEOPLE 


BY    Q.   A.   HENTY 

The  following  copyrighted  Henty  Booics 
are  also  issued  in    acheap  edition 

*  *  ^ 

A  MARCH  ON  LONDON 
WITH  MOORE  AT  CORUNNA 
AT  AGINCOURT 

COCHRANE  THE  DAUNTLESS 

m 

ON  THE  IRRAWADDY 

THROUGH  RUSSIAN  SNOWS 

A  KNIGHT  OF  THE  WHITE  CROSS 

THE  TIGER  OF  MYSORE 

IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES 

WHEN  LONDON  BURNED 

WULF  THE  SAXON 

ST.  BARTHOLOMEW'S  EVE 

THROUGH  THE  SIKH  WAR 

A  JACOBITE  EXILE 

CONDEMNED  AS  A    NIHILIST 

BERIC  THE  BRITON 

IN  GREEK  WATERS 

THE  DASH  FOR  KHARTOUM 

REDSKIN  AND  COW-BOY 

HELD  FAST  FOR  ENGLAND 

*  ^   ^ 

These  booics  are  fully  described  in  the 
pages  preceding  this. 


A  LIST  OF  Ni:W  BOOKS 

Fon. 
YOUNG    PE.OPLE 


FALL    OF    1902 


CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW    YORK 


^  ^  « 

THE   BOOK   OF  JOYOUS   CHILDREN 
BY  JAMES  WHITCOMB  RILEY 

Profusely  Illustrated. 

The  sweetness,  the  grace,  the  laughter  and  the  tenderness  of  Mr. 
Riley's  best  verse  are  found  to  the  full  in  this  book  of  delightful  poems 
for  and  about  children.  The  illustrations  have  been  made  under  the 
author's  supervision,  and  portray  tbe  scenes  and  the  little  heroes  and 
heroines  of  the  poems  with  artistic  fidelity. 

IN  THE  WASP'S  NEST 

The  Story  of  a  Sea  Waif.    By  Ctkus  Townsend  Bkadt.    Illus- 
trated.    $1.50  net.     (Postage,  16  cents.) 

A  vigorous  story  of  the  War  of  1812.  The  hero,  a  midshipman, 
serves  gallantly  aboard  two  famous  American  ships,  each  bearing  the 
name  of  Wasp,  having  many  adventures  of  storm,  battle  and  capture. 
The  hero  was  picked  up  in  an  open  boat  when  a  baby  by  the  crew  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Boston  and  adopted  by  the  Captain.  The  story  has  the  real 
spirit  of  the  American  Navy. 

A  CAPTURED  SANTA  CLAUS 
BY  THOMAS  NELSON  PAGE 

Illustrated  in  Colors. 

This  exquisite  storv  of  childhood  is  one  of  the  most  delicate  that 
even  Mr.  Fage  has  written.  It  is  an  episode  of  the  Civil  War  in  which 
children  are  the  little  heroes.  The  period  is  the  Christmas  time,  and 
the  scene  is  between  the  lines  of  the  Union  and  Confederate  Armies. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOU  NO   PEOPLE 


JEB  HUTTON,  A  GEORGIA  BOY 

By  James  B.  Connolly.     Illustrated.     $1.20  net.      (Postage, 
13  cents.) 

A  thoroughly  interesting  and  breezy  tale  of  boy-life  along  the 
Savannah  River  by  a  writer  who  knows  boys,  and  who  has  succeeded 
in  making  of  the  adventures  of  Jeb  and  his  friends  a  story  that  will 
keep  his  young  readers  absorbed  to  the  last  page. 


KING  MOMBO 

By  Paul  Du  Chaillu.  Author  of  "  The  World  of  the  Great 
yorest,"  etc.  With  24  illustrations.  $1.50  net.  (Postage, 
16  cents.) 

The  scene  is  the  great  African  forest.  It  is  a  book  of  interesting 
experiences  with  native  tribes,  and  thrilling  and  perilous  adventures  in 
hunting  elephants,  crocodiles,  gorillas  and  other  fierce  creatures 
among  which  this  famous  explorer  lived  so  long. 

A  NEW  BOOK  FOR  GIRLS 

By  LiNA  Beard  and  Adelia  B.  Beard.  Authors  of  *'  The 
American  Girl's  Handy    Book."    Profusely  Illustrated. 

An  admirable  collection  of  entirely  new  and  original  indoor  and  out- 
door pastimes  for  American  girls,  each  fully  and  interestingly  de- 
scribed and  explained,  and  all  designed  to  stimulate  the  taste  and 
ingenuity  at  the  same  time  that  they  entertain. 

SEA   FIGHTERS    FROM    DRAKE   TO 
FARRAGUT 

By  Jessie  Peabody  Frothingham.  Illustrations  by  Reuter- 
DAHL.     $1.20  net.     (Postage,  14  cents.) 

Drake,  Tromp,  De  Renter,  Tourville,  Suffren,  Paul  Jones,  Nelson 
and  Farragut  are  the  naval  heroes  here  pictured,  and  each  is  shown  in 
some  great  episode  which  illustrates  his  personality  and  heroism.  The 
book  is  full  of  the  very  spirit  of  daring  and  adventurous  achievement. 

BOB  AND  HIS  GUN 

By  William  Alexander  Linn.     With  8  Illustrations. 

The  adventures  of  a  boy  with  a  gun  under  the  instruction  of  his 
cousin,  an  accomplished  sportsman.  The  book's  aim  is  to  interest 
boys  in  hunting  in  the  spirit  of  true  sport  and  to  instruct  in  the  ways 
of  game  birds  and  animals. 


A  List   of  Books 
^      for  Young  People 

...  dY  ... 

KIRK     MUNROE 


A    SON    OF    SATSUMA 
Or,  With  Perry  in  Japan 

BY  KIRK  MUNROE 

With  twelve  Illustrations  by  Harrt  C.  Edwabds.     $1.00  net.- 

THIS  absorbing  story  for  boys  deals  with  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting  episodes  in  our  National  history.  From  the 
beginning  Japan  has  been  a  land  of  mystery.  Foreigners  were 
permitted  to  land  only  at  certain  points  on  her  shores  and  nothing 
whatever  was  known  of  her  civilization  and  history,  her  romance 
and  magnificence,  her  wealth  and  art.  It  was  Commodore  Perry 
who  opened  her  gates  to  the  world,  thus  solving  the  mystery  of 
the  ages,  and,  in  this  thrilling  story  of  an  American  boy  in 
Japan  at  that  period,  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  history  of  this  great 
achievement  is  ably  set  forth. 

MIDSHIPMAN  STUART 

Or,  the  Last  Cruise  of  the  Essex.     A  Tale  of  the  War  of  1812. 

Illustrated.     12mo,  $1.25. 

This  is  an  absorbing  story  of  life  in  the  American  Navy  during 
the  stirring  times  of  our  war  of  1812.  The  very  spirit  of  the 
period  is  in  its  pages,  and  many  of  the  adventures  of  the  Essex 
are  studied  from  history. 

IN  PIRATE  WATERS 

A  Tale  of  the  American  Navy.     Illustrated    by    I.  W.  Taber. 
12mo,  $1.25. 

The  hero  of  the  story  becomes  a  midshipman  in  the  navy  just  at  the 
time  of  the  war  with  Tripoi.  His  own  wild  adventures  among  the 
Turks  and  his  love  romance  are  thoroughly  interwoven  with  the  stir- 
ring history  of  that  time. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  KIRK  MUNROE 
THE  "WHITE  CONQUERORS"  SERIES 

WITH    CROCKETT   AND    BOWIE 

Or,  Fighting  for  the  Lone  Star  Flag.  A  Tale  of  Texas.  With 
8  full-page  Illustrations  by  Victor  Perard.  Crown  8vo, 
$1.25. 

The  story  is  of  the  Texas  revolution  in  1835,  when  American  Texans 
under  Sam  Houston,  Bowie,  Crockett  and  Travis,  fouglit  for  relief 
from  the  intolerable  tyranny  of  the  Mexican  Santa  Ana.  The  hero, 
Rex  Hardin,  son  of  a  Texan  ranchman  and  graduate  of  an  American 
military  school,  takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  heroic  defense  of  the 
Alamo,  and  the  final  triumph  at  San  Jacinto. 

THROUGH    SWAMP    AND   GLADE 

A  Tale  of  the  Seminole  War.  By  Kirk  Munroe.  With  8  full- 
page  Illustrations  by  V.  Perard.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

Coacoochee,  the  hero  of  the  story,  Is  the  son  of  Philip  the  chieftain 
of  the  Seminoles.  He  grows  up  to  lead  his  tribe  in  the  long  struggle 
which  resulted  in  the  Indians  being  driven  from  the  north  of  Florida 
down  to  the  distant  southern  wilderness. 

AT  WAR  WITH    PONTIAC 

Or,  the  Totem  of  the  Bear.  A  Tale  of  Redcoat  and  Redskin. 
By  Kirk  Munroe.  With  8  full -page  Illustrations  by  J. 
Finnemore.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

A  story  when  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie  were  held  by  hostile  Indians. 
The  hero,  Donald  Hester,  goes  in  search  of  his  sister  Edith,  who  has 
been  captured  by  the  Indians.  Strange  and  terrible  are  his  experi- 
ences ;  for  he  is  wounded,  taken  prisoner,  condemned  to  be  burned,  but 
contrives  to  escape.    In  the  end  all  things  terminate  happily. 

THE  WHITE   CONQUERORS 

A  Tale  of  Toltec  and  Aztec.  By  Kirk  Munroe.  With  8  full- 
page  Illustrations.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

This  story  deals  with  the  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez  and  his 
Spaniards,  the  "  White  Conquerors,"  who,  after  mamy  deeds  of  valor, 
pushed  their  way  into  the  great  Aztec  kingdom  and  established  their 
power  in  the  wondrous  city  where  Montezuma  reigned  in  splendor. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNUR'S  SONS 
153=7  Fifth  Avenue  New  YorR 


gOOKS  FOR 

Young  People 


BY    CAPT.    F.    S.    BRERETON 

THE    DRAGON   OF    PEKIN 

A  Story  of  the  Boxer  Revolt.      Illustrated,  12mo,  $1.50. 

In  this  timely  volume  the  author  has  been  singularly  successful  in 
depicting  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  late  trouble  in  China.  His  hero  has 
an  adventurous  part  in  the  exciting  issue  between  China  and  the  Allied 
Powers. 

A   GALLANT    GRENADIER 

A  Tale  of  the  Crimean  War.     Illustrated,  12mo,  $1.50. 

Captain  Brereton  is  now  hailed  as  another  '*  George  A.  Henty."  In 
this  stirring  story  the  history  and  the  real  atmosphere  of  this  impor- 
tant war  is  strikingly  conveyed  in  a  story  of  really  thrilling  power. 

WITH    RIFLE   AND    BAYONET 

A  Story  of    the    Boer  War.     Illustrations    by  Wal.   Paget. 
Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

Jack  Somerten  is  the  first  Uitlander  to  find  actual  evidence  that  the 
Boers  are  importing  arms  and  ammunition  in  large  quantities,  but  the 
Boers  soon  learn  that  he  has  discovered  their  secret  and  from  that  time 
his  life  is  in  constant  danger.  The  account  of  his  adventures  and 
escapes  during  this  time  and  throughout  the  war  makes  one  of  the 
best  war  tales  of  many  years. 

IN   THE   KING'S   SERVICE 

A  Tale  of  Cromwell's  Invasion  of  Ireland.     Illustrations   by 
Stanley  L.  Wood.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

When  the  Parlimentary  army  crosses  to  Ireland  young  Dick  Gran- 
ville and  his  cousin  join  a  body  of  Royalist  horse.  They  take  part  in 
the  defense  of  Drogheda,  only  escaping  from  the  slaughter  there  by  a 
miracle,  and  afterwards  go  through  a  series  of  thrilling  adventures  and 
narrow  escapes. 

WITH    SHIELD  AND   ASSEGAI 

A  Tale  of  the  Zulu  War.     With  G  Illustrations  by     Stanley 
L.  Wood.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

Donald  Stewart,  at  school  in  England,  is  wrongfully  accused  of  theft. 
He  runs  away,  enlists  in  the  British  army,  and  is  sent  to  Africa.  There 
he  learns  that  his  sister  and  a  friend  are  in  the  hands  of  Cetewayo. 
Disguised  as  a  Zulu,  he  rescues  the  two  girls  ;  and  after  the  attack 
upon  Ulundi,  he  hears  from  a  dying  officer  a  confession  of  the  theft  of 
which  he  was  accused. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  ROBERT  LEIQHTON 

"Mr.  Leighton's  place  is  in  the  front  rank  of  writers  of  boys'  books." 

—Standard. 

THE  GOLDEN  GALLEON 

Illustrated,  crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

This  is  a  story  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  just  after  the  defeat  of  the 
Spanish  Armada.  Mr.  Leighton  introduces  in  his  work  the  great  sea- 
fighters  of  Plymouth  town— Hawkins,  Drake,  Raleigh,  and  Richard 
Granville. 

OLAF  THE  GLORIOUS 

With  8  full-page  Illustrations  by  Ralph  Peacock.  Crown  Svo, 
olivine  edges,   $1.50. 

This  story  of  Olaf,  King  of  Norway,  opens  with  his  being  found  living 
as  a  bond-slave  in  Esthonia,  and  follows  him  through  his  romantic 
youth  in  Russia.  Then  come  his  adventures  as  a  Viking,  his  raids  upon 
the  coasts  of  Scotland  and  England,  and  his  conversion  to  Christianity. 
He  returns  to  Norway  as  king,  and  converts  his  people  to  the  Christian 
faith. 

WRECK  OF  "THE  GOLDEN  FLEECE" 

The  Story  of  a  North  Sea  Fisher-boy.  With  8  full  page  Illustra- 
tions by  Frank  Brangwyn.  Crown  8 vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero  is  a  parson's  son  who  is  apprenticed  on  board  a  Lowestoft 
fishing  lugger.  The  lad  suffers  many  buffets  from  his  shipmates,  while 
the  storms  and  dangers  which  he  braved  are  set  forth  with  intense  power. 

THE  THIRSTY  SWORD 

A  Story  of  the  Norse  Invasion  of  Scotland  (1262-63).  With 
8  full-page  Illustrations  by  Alfred  Pearse,  and  a  Map. 
Crown  Svo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

This  story  tells  how  Roderick  Mac  Alpin,  the  sea-rover,  came  to  the 
Isle  of  Bute;  how  he  slew  his  brothei  in'RothesayiCastle;  how  the  earl's 
eldest  son  was  likewise  slain;  bow  young  Kenric  now  became  king  of 
Bute,  and  vowed  vengeance  against  the  slayer  of  his  brother  and  father, 
and  finally,  how  this  vow  was  kept,  when  Kenric  and  the  murderous 
sea-rover  met  at  midnight  and  ended  their  feud  in  one  last  great  fight. 

THE  PILOTS  OF  POMONA 

A  Story  of  the  Orkney  Islands.  With  8  full-page  Illustrations 
by  John  Leighton,  and  a  Map.  Crown  Svo,  olivine  edges, 
$1.50. 

Halcro  Ericson,  the  hero,  happens  upon  many  exciting  adventures 
and  hard  experiences,  through  which  he  carries  himself  with  quiet 
courage.  The  story  gives  a  vivid  presentation  of  life  in  these  far 
northern  islands. 


BOOKS   FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


AN  ANIMAL  ABC 

A  Humorous  Alphabet.  By  H.  B.  Neilson.  4to,  $1.00.  With 
24  pages  of  Illustrations  in  two  colors  and  24  pages  in 
black  and  white.     Verses  by  "The  Cockiolly  Bird." 

A  remarkably  attractive  collection  of  spirited  and  original  animal 
pictures  by  an   artist  who  excels  in  this  line. 

ROUNDABOUT  RHYMES 

Written  and  pictured  by  Mrs.  Percy  Dearmer.  Beautifully 
printed.  With  20  full-page  plates  in  colors.  Small  4to, 
$1.00. 

This  book  is  unusually  attractive  in  form,  and  is  admirably  suited 
to  the  youngest  readers.  The  pictures,  together  with  the  delightful 
series  of  half  playful  rhymes  accompanying  them,  have  a  quaint  nur- 
sery air  that  will  render  them  particularly  dear  to  a  child's  heart. 

THE  LITTLE  BROWNS 

By  Mabel  E.  Wolton.  With  80  Illustrations  by  H.  M. 
Brock,  and  a  Colored  Frontispiece.  Square  8vo,  gilt  edges, 
$2.00. 

The  Little  Browns  are  a  delightful  set  of  youngsters,  more  than 
usually  individual  and  self-reliant.  During  their  parents'  absence  they 
extend  hospitality  to  a  stranger,  under  the  belief  that  he  is  their  uncle 
from  Australia.  The  supposed  uncle  is  really  a  burglar,  and  by  their 
courage  and  childish  resources  they  outwit  him.  The  Little  Browns  is 
the  work  of  a  true  child-lover. 


BY   CARTON    MOORE    PARK 

A  BOOK  OF  BIRDS 

Profusely  Illustrated  with  full-page  plates,  vignettes,  cover 
design,  etc.,  etc.      Demy  4to  (13  inches  by  10  inches),  $3.00. 

No  artist  has  caught  more  thoroughly  the  individualities  of  the  bird 
world,  or  has  reproduced  them  with  more  lifelike  vivacity  and  charm. 

AN  ALPHABET  OF  ANIMALS 

With  26  full-page  Plates,  a  large  number  of  vignettes,  and 
cover  design  by  Carton  Moore  Park.  Demy  4to  (13 
inches  by   10  inches),   $2.00. 

A  strikingly  artistic  alphabet  book.  Mr.  Park's  drawings  are  marked 
by  extraordinary  boldness  and  vigor  of  treatment ;  but  they  display  in 
addition  a  rare  appreciation  of  the  subtler  characteristics  of  the  animal 
world.  Of  these  individual  traits  Mr.  Park  has  an  intuitive  perception, 
and  his  pictures  may  almost  be  said    to  live  upon  the  page. 


BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY   DR.   GORDON   STABLES 


COURAGE   TRUE   HEART 

A  Brilliant  New  Story  of  Danger  and  Daring  on  the  Sea.  By 
Gordon  Stables,  M.D.,  CM.  Illustrated,  crown  8vo, 
$1.25. 

A   NAVAL   CADET 

A  Story  of  Adventure  by  Sea.  By  Gordon  Stables,  M.D., 
CM.     Blustrated,  crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

FOR   LIFE   AND  LIBERTY 

A  Story  of  Battle  by  Land  and  Sea.  By  Gordon  Stables, 
M.D.,  CM.  With  8  full-page  Blustrations  by  Sidney 
Paget.    12  mo,  $1.50. 

The  story  of  an  English  boy  who  runs  from  home  and  joins  the  South- 
ern army  in  the  late  Civil  War.  His  chum  enters  the  navy,  and  their 
various  adventures  are  set  forth  with  great  vigor  and  interest. 

TO   GREENLAND  AND   THE   POLE 

A  Story  of  Adventure  in  the  Arctic  Regions.  By  Gordon 
Stables,  M.D.,  CM.  With  8  full-page  Illustrations  by 
G.  C  Hindley,  and  a  map.  Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges, 
$1.50. 

The  author  is  himself  an  old  Arctic  voyager,  and  he  deals  with  deer- 
hunting  in  Norway,  sealing  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  bear-stalking  on  the 
ice-floes,  the  hardships  of  a  journey  across  Greenland,  and  a  successful 
voyage  to  the  back  of  the  North  Pole. 

WESTWARD   WITH   COLUMBUS 

By  Gordon  Stables,  M.D.,  CM.  With  8  full -page  Illustra- 
tions by  Alfred  Pearse.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

The  hero  of  this  story  is  Columbus  himself.  His  career  is  traced 
from  boyhood  onward  through  the  many  hazardous  enterprises  in  which 
he  was  at  various  times  engaged.  The  narrative  deals  chiefly,  however, 
with  the  great  naval  venture  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the 
American  continent. 

*TWIXT  SCHOOL  AND  COLLEGE 

A  Tale  of  Self-reliance.  By  Gordon  Stables,  M.D.,  CM. 
With  8  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  Parkinson.  Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 


BOOKS  FOR    TOUXG    PEOPLE 


IN   THE   DICTATOR'S   GRIP 

By  JoHX  Samson.     Illustrated.     12mo,  $1.25 

A  vigorous  and  telling  story  of  an  Englishman's  adventures  in  the 
Pampas  and  Paraguay. 

JONES   THE    MYSTERIOUS 

By    Charles    Edwardes.     With  3  Illustrations    by    Harold 
Copping.     12mo,  75  cts. 

A  bright  story  of  English  schoolboy  life,  -vrith  mysterious  happenings 
to  the  hero,  who  has  a  secret  and  weird  '•  power,"  bestowed  upon  him 
by  his  East  Indian  bearer. 

THE    HISTORY    OF   GUTTA-PERCHA 
WILLIE 

The  TTorking  Genius.  By  George  Macdonald.  With  8  Illus- 
trations by  Arthur  Hughes.     Isew  Edition.    12mo,  75  cts. 

WYNPORT  COLLEGE 

A  Story  of  School  Life.  By  Frederick  Harrison.  AVith  8 
Illustrations  by  Harold  Copping.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

The  hero  and  his  chums  differ  as  widely  in  character  as  in  personal 
appearance.  We  have  Patrick  O'Fflahertie,  the  good-natured  Irish 
boy  ;  Jack  Brookes,  the  irrepressible  humorist ;  Davie  Jackson,  the 
true-hearted  little  lad  on  whose  haps  and  mishaps  the  plot  to  a  great 
extent  turns ;  and  the  hero  himself. 

THE  ROVER'S  SECRET 

A  Tale  of  the  Pirate  Cays  and  Lagoons  of  Cuba.  By  Harry 
C0LLI27GW00D.  With  6  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  C. 
Symons.     Crown  8vo,  $1.00. 

The  hero  of  "The  Rover's  Secret,"  a  young  officer  of  the  British 
navy,  narrates  his  peculiar  experiences  in  childhood  and  his  subsequent 
perils  and  achivements. 

THE   PIRATE    ISLAND 

A  Story  of  the  South  Pacific.  By  Harry  ColliisGWOod. 
Illustrated  by  8  full-page  Pictures  by  C.  J.  Stanela^d  and 
J.  R.  Wells.     Olivine  edges.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

This  story  details  the  adventures  of  a  lad  who  was  found  in  his  in- 
fancy on  board  a  wreck,  and  is  adopted  by  a  tisherman.  Going  to  sea, 
he  forms  one  of  a  party  who,  after  being  burned  out  of  their  ship, 
are  picked  up  by  a  pirate'brig  and  taken  to  the  '"Pirate  Island,"  where 
ttiey  have  many  thrilling  adventures. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG    PEOPLE 


BY    GEORGE    MANVILLE    FENN 

DICK   O'   THE   FENS 

A  Romance  of  the  Great  East  Swamp.  With  12  full-page 
Illustrations  by  Frank  Dadd.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

BROWNSMITH'S    BOY 

With  6  page  Illustrations.     Crown,  8vo,  $1.00. 

YUSSUF   THE    GUIDE 

Being  the  Strange  Story  of  Travels  in  Asia  Minor.  With  8  full- 
page  Illustrations.     Crown  8vo,  $1.00. 

THE  GOLDEN  MAGNET 

A  Tale  of  the  Land  of  the  Incas.  With  13  full-page  pictures  by 
Gordon  Browne.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

NAT  THE  NATURALIST 

A  Boy's  Adventures  in  the  Eastern  Seas.  Illustrated  by  8  full- 
page  Pictures  by  George  Browne.  Crown,  8vo,  olivine 
edges,  $1.50. 

QUICKSILVER 

Or.  A  Boy  with  no  Skid  to  his  Wheel.  With  10  full-page  Illus- 
trations by  Frank  Dadd.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

DEVON    BOYS 

A  Tale  of  the  North  Shore.  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by 
Gordon  Browne.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

MOTHER   CAREY'S  CHICKEN 

Her  Voyage  to  the  Unknown  Isle.  With  8  full-page  Illustra- 
tions.   Crown  8vo,  $1.00. 

BUNYIP  LAND 

The  Story  of  a  \Vild  Journey  in  New  Guinea.  With  6  full-page 
Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

IN  THE  KING'S  NAME 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Kestrel.  Illustrated  by  12  full-page  Pic- 
tures by  Gordon  Browne.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

MENHARDOC 

A  Story  of  Cornish  Nets  and  Mines.  With  6  full-page  Illustra- 
tions by  C.  J.  Staniland.     Crown  8vo,  $1.00. 

PATIENCE   WINS 
Or,  War  in  the  Works.     With  6  full-page  Illustrations.     Crown 
8vo,  $1.00. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


BY  HARRY  COLLINGWOOD 
THE    LOG    OF    A     PRIVATEERSMAN 

With  12  full-page  Illastrations  by  W.   Rainey,    R.I.     Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

In  the  war  between  Napoleon  and  the  British,  many  privateers  were 
sent  out  from  England  to  seize  and  destroy  the  French  merchant  vessels. 
On  one  of  these  George  Bowen  went  as  second  mate.  Long  distance 
duels  at  sea,  tights  at  close  quarters,  fierce  boarding  attacks,  capture  and 
recapture,  flight  and  pursuit,  storm  and  wreck,  fire  at  sea  and  days  with 
out  food  or  water  in  a  small  boat  on  the  ocean,  are  some  of  the  many 
thrilling  experiences  our  hero  passed  through. 


BY  PROFESSOR  A.  J.  CHURCH 
LORDS    OF    THE    WORLD 

A   story  of  the  Fall  of  Carthage  and   Corinth.     By  Professor 

A.  J.  Church.     With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  Ralph 

Peacook.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges  $1.50. 

The  scene  of  this  story  centres  in  the  destruction  of  Carthage  by  the 

Romans.    The  young  hero  is  captured  by  the  Romans,  but  wearing  the 

dress  of  his  twin  sister,  escapes  death.     Entering  the  army  of  Carthage 

he  is  in  the  thick  of  the  long  conflict  and  passes  through  many  thrilling 

adventures.  

BY  S   BARINQ-QOULD 
GRETTIR    THE    OUTLAW 

A    story  of  Iceland.      By  S.    Baring-Gould.     With  10  full- 
page    Illustrations  by   M.    Zend  Diemer,  and  a    Colored 
Map.     Crown  8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 
No  boy  will  be  able  to  withstand  the  magic  of  such  scenes  as  the  fight 

of  Grettir  with  twelve  bearserks  and  the  wrestle  with  Karr  the  Old  in 

the  chamber  of  the  dead. 

THE   MISSING  MERCHANTMAN 

By  Harry  Collingwood.  With  6  full  page  pictures  by  W. 
H.  OvEREXD.     Crown  8vo,  $1.00. 

A  fine  Australian  clipper  is  seized  by  the  crew;  the  passengers  are 
landed  on  one  deserted  island,  the  captain  and  a  junior  officer  on  another, 
and  the  young  hero  of  the  story  is  kept  on  board  to  navigate  the  ship, 
which  the  mutineers  refit  as  a  private  vessel. 

THE    CONGO    ROVERS 

A  Tale  of  the  Slave  Squadron.  By  Harry  Collingwood. 
With  8  full-page  Illustrations  by  J.  Schonberg.  Crown 
8vo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

FIGHTING  THE  MATABELE 

By  J.  Chalmers.  With  6  Illustrations  by  Stanley  L.  Wood. 
12mo,  $1.25. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG    PEOPLE 


GOOD  BOOKS  FOR  GIRLS 


THREE   FAIR    MAIDS 

Or,  The  Burkes  of  Derrymore.  By  Katharine  Tynan.  With 
12  Illustrations  by  G.  D.  Hammond.  Crown  8vo,  olivine 
edges,  $1.50. 

A  story  of  Irish  country  life.  The  three  fair  maids  are  the  daughters 
of  an  impoverished  Irish  lady.  Sir  Jasper's  disinheritance  of  their 
father  obliged  them  to  give  up  their  great  house,  but  the  family 
is  ultimately  reconciled  with  Uncle  Peter,  who  makes  Elizabeth  his 
heiress. 

THREE   BRIGHT   GIRLS 

A  Story  of  Chance  and  Mischance.     By  Annie  E.  Armstrong. 

With  6  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.   Parkinson.     Crown 

8vo,  $1.25. 
"Among  many  good  stories  for  girls  this  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
very  best." — Teachers''  Aid. 

A   NEWNHAM    FRIENDSHIP 

By  Alice  Stronach.  With  6  Illustrations  by  Harold  Copping. 
Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

A  description  of  life  at  Newnham  College.  Men  students  play  their 
part  in  the  story,  and  the  closing  chapters  describe  the  work  of  some 
of  tlie  girls  as  "  social  settlers  "  in  the  east  of  London. 

THE   LADY  ISOBEL 

A  Story  for  Girls.  By  Eliza  F.  Pollard.  With  4  Illustra- 
tions by  W.  Fulton  Brown.     12mo,  $1.00. 

A  Tale  of  the  Scottish  Covenanters. 

A   GIRL   OF   TO-DAY 

By  Ellinor  Davenport  Adams.  With  6  page  Illustrations  by 
Gertrude  Demain  Hammond,  R.I.     Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 

The  boys  and  girls  of  Woodend  band  themselves  together,  and  that 
they  have  plenty  of  fun  is  seen  in  the  shopping  expedition  to  purchase 
stores  for  their  society,  and  in  the  successful  Christmas  entertainment. 
Max  Brenton's  fight  with  Joe  Baker,  the  bully,  shows  that  their  work 
has  its  serious  side  as  well. 

CYNTHIA'S  BONNET  SHOP 

By  Rosa  Mulholland  (Lady  Gilbert).  With  8  Illustrations  by 
C.  D.  Hammond,  R.I.      Crown  Svo,  olivine  edges,  $1.50. 

Cynthia,  one  of  three  charming,  lively  sisters  of  an  impoverished 
Connaught  family,  desires  to  make  money  for  the  sake  of  her  delicate 
mother.  If  she  had  only  capital  she  would  open  a  millinery  establish- 
ment in  London.  The  capital  is  mysteriously  supplied,  and  the  secret 
of  the  unknown  benefactor  is  kept  to  the  end. 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUyO    PEOPLE 


GOOD  BOOKS  FOR  GIRLS 


BY   ETHEL    F.    HEDDLE 

A   MYSTERY   OF  ST.    RULES 

$1.50. 

An  absorbing  novel  for  girls,  the  action  of  which  revolves  round  the 
mystery  of  a  stolen  diamond,  but  is  full  of  delightful  character 
sketches,  and  the  background  of  the  gray  old  city  is  charmingly  filled 
in.  The  mystery  is  well  maintained,  and  the  love  interest  is  strong 
to  the  end. 

AN   ORIGINAL   GIRL 

Illustrated.     13mo,  $1.50. 

A  tale  of  London  and  English  country  life.  The  author  is  a  favorite 
writer  for  girls,  whose  previous  books  have  been  unusually  popular. 


THINGS   WILL  TAKE   A  TURN 

By  Beatrice  Haehaden,  Author  of  "Ships  that  Pass  in  the 
Night."    Illustrated.     12mo,  $1.00. 

It  is  the  story  of  a  sunny-hearted  child,  Rosebud,  who  assists  her 
grandfather  in  his  dusty,  second-hand  bookshop. 

LAUGH  AND  LEARN 

The  Easiest  Book  of  Nursery  Lessons  and  Nursery  Games.  By 
Jennett  Humphreys.  Charmingly  Illustrated.  Square 
8vo,  $1.25. 

"One  of  the  best  books  of  the  kind  imaginable,  full  of  practical 
teachings  in  word  and  picture,  and  helping  the  little  ones  pleasantly 
along  a  right  royal  road  to  learning." — Graphic . 

ADVENTURES   IN   TOYLAND 

By  Edith  King  Hall.  With  8  Colored  Plates  and  72  other 
Illustrations  by  Alice  B.  Woodward.     Square  8vo,  $2.00. 

The  story  of  what  a  little  girl  heard  and  saw  in  a  toy  shop. 

NELL'S    SCHOOL    DAYS 

A  Story  of  Tovp^n  and  Country.  By  H.  P.  Gethen.  With  4 
Illustrations,  $1.00. 

VIOLET   VEREKER'S   VANITY 

By  Annie  E.  Armstrong.  With  6  Illustrations  by  G.  D.  Ham- 
mond.    Crown  8vo,  $1.25. 


BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG    PEOPLE 


GOOD  BOOKS  FOR  GIRLS 


BY   ALICE    CORKRAN 

DOWN  THE  SNOW  STAIRS 

Or,  From  Good-night  to  Good-morning.  With  character  Illus- 
trations by  Gordon  Browne.  Square  crown  8vo,  olivine 
edges,  $1.25. 

"  A  gem  of  the  first  water,  bearing  upon  every  one  of  its  pages  the 
signet  mark  of  genius.  .  .  .  All  is  told  with  such  simplicity  and 
perfect  naturalness  that  the  dream  appears  to  be  a  solid  reality.  It  is 
indeed  a  little  Pilgrim's  Progress."— C'Amfiaw  Leader. 

MARGERY  MERTON'S  GIRLHOOD 

With  6  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne.  Crown 
8vo,  $1.25. 

The  experience  of  an  orphan  girl  who  in  infancy  is  left  by  her  father, 
an  oflacer  in  India,  to  the  care  of  an  elderly  aunt  residing  near  Paris. 


A  VERY  ODD   GIRL 

Life  at  the  Gabled  Farm.     By  Annie  E.  Armstrong.     With  6 
full-page  Illustrations  by  S.  T.  Dadd.     Crown,  $1.25. 

HER    FRIEND    AND    MINE 

A  Story  of  Two  Sisters.     By  Florence  Coombe.     With  3 
Illustrations  by  Wm.  Rainey.     12mo,  $1.00. 

•  THE    EAGLE'S    NEST 

By  S.  E.  Cartwright.     With  3  Illustrations  by  Wm.  Rainey. 
12mo,  $1.00. 

MY    FRIEND    KATHLEEN 

By  Jennie    Chappell.      With  4  Illustrations   by   John    H. 
Bacon.     12mo,  $1.00. 

A    DAUGHTER    OF    ERIN 

By  Violet  G.  Finny.     With  4  Illustrations.     Price,  $1.00. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

153-7  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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